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Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey

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THE GIFT OF

FLORENCE V. V. DICKEY

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EXLIBKIS

THE DONALD R. DICKEY

LIBRARY
OF VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY

LINES ON ANDREW WILLIAMS,

WHO DIED IN 1776, AGED 84,

And who Served the Llovds of Aston, in Shropshire, for Sixty
Years as Decoyman. (Page 150.)

" Here lies the Decoyman who Hved like an otter.
Dividing his time betwixt land and water ;
His hide he oft soaked in the waters of Perry,*
Whilst Aston old beer his spirits kept cheery.
Amphibious his life, Death was puzzled to say
How to dust to reduce such well-moistened clay.
So Death turned Decoyman, and 'coyed him to land.
Where he fixed his abode till quite dried to the hand.
He then found him fitting for crumbling to dust ;
And here he lies mouldering as you and I must."

* The rivei that passed near the Decoy.

49G517

PREFACE.

In launching this Book about Decoys, I hope to supply a want and
afford information to those who are interested in this special and peculiar
branch of Fowling. To the Naturalist and Wildfowler, as well as to the
Topographer and Antiquarian, I chiefly appeal. But whether the title,
one of unknown import probably to nine out of ten people, will attract
the attention of Sportsmen at large remains to be proved. My object,
con amore, is to place on record the Method of constructing Decoys, as
well as the manner of taking Wildfowl therein.

I shall include also all obtainable data and notes connected with
the History of Decoys past and present, before such are for ever lost.

With this object in view I have taken much trouble in acquiring all
possible information on this sport — one rapidly being forgotten ; and one
that, for amusement and instruction to all lovers of wild birds, has no
equal. That the history of Decoys without some such effort as the present
would speedily have been lost, could not fail to be the case, as the old
Decoymen die off, and Decoys annually cease to exist.

No book of any kind has yet been published on the subject, and lest
none should appear the present work has been undertaken.

It may be an interesting matter of surprise, even to those who have
some little knowledge of Decoys, to read of the enormous number of
Wildfowl taken in them in former days, when Decoying was a trade of
astonishing dimensions in England, and the capture of Wildfowl was
carried on to an extent little suspected of by the present generation.

As an example, 1 may state that in our Eastern Counties alone there
formerly existed some lOO Decoys, which, at a moderate estimate for those
days, took on an average 5,000 Ducks apiece yearly ; in other words, con-

viii PREFACE.

tributing to the markets the enormous total of half a million birds, of a
purely wild and valuable nature, and this too without firing a shot.

During the last dozen years I have waged constant warfare against
Wildfowl, with all imaginable contrivances in the way of yachts, punts,
and guns, in various parts of the world, as well as at home, at a cost of —
I should be afraid to say how much time and money — yet I can account
for but six or seven thousand Ducks. Now, in one winter alone, it was
in our grandfathers' days a usual thing for a Decoyman to catch from
five to ten thousand birds, at an annual outlay of perhaps ^50 spent in
keeping up a pond and its netting, its pipes and its reed screens.

England and Ireland, as well as many parts of Scotland, are still
admirably suited for Decoys ; not, it is true, as a means of profit as of
yore, but as a constant source of amusement. For surely a Decoy,
however small it may be, haunted by numbers of beautiful Wildfowl,
affords a fund of interesting instruction that may always be resorted
to with advantage by both sportsmen and naturalists.

It may be said with confidence, that there is scarcely a park or
property in Great Britain where a moderate venture in the shape of a
Decoy, costing from ^100 to ^150, could not be constructed. Its annual
expense might be ^30 to £d,o. Any fairly intelligent keeper could work it
well enough to supply its owner daily during the winter with a dainty dish
for his table, besides now and again plenty of birds to spare for friendly
presents as well.

There may possibly exist some few unworked and almost forgotten
Decoys of which I have not heard. Should this be the case, I shall
be grateful to know of them, in order, if possible, to rectify such omissions.

Ralph Payne-Gallwey.

TiiiRKi.ERY Park,
'I'hirsk.

May, 18S6,

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Decoymen — Derivation of Word Decoy — Origin and Age of Decoys — Driving Ducks —
Works relating to Decoys — The Position of Decoys — The Skeltons — The Law of
Decoys — Phraseology of a Decoy- — What a Decoy consists of ... . i

CHAPTER H.

The System of Catching the Birds when in the Decoy Pipes — The Methods used to
Decoy the Ducks into the Pipes — Dogging — Feeding — The Effect of tlie Food,
and of the Dog, on the Ducks — How the Decoyman drives the Birds up the Pipe,
both when Dogging and Feeding . . .21

CHAPTER ni.

The Construction of a Decoy — The Pipes — The Hoops — The Netting — The Tunnel-
net — The Pond — The Water Supply — The Landings and Banks — Fencing — The
Screens — The Tame Decoy Ducks — The Decoy Dog — The Food ■ • ■ . 35

CHAPTER IV.

General Directions in the Management of a Decoy — The Wind — The Time most suit-
able for Decoying — Ice-breaking — Killing Birds — Criticism of Decoys illustrated
in the Book — Description of a Decoy and a Decoy Pipe, with Folding Plans — A
List of Decoys, Past and Present, in the British Islands . . . . -Si

CHAPTER V.

A History of Decoys, Past and Present :— Berkshire — Buckinghamshire — Cambridge-
shire— Cornwall — Derbyshire — Dorsetshire ........ 60

CHAPTER VI.
A History of Decoys, Past and Present {continued) : — Essex . . . . -75

CHAPTER VII.

A History of Decoys, Past and Present {amtinucd) : — Glamorganshire — Gloucestershire
— Hampshire — Herefordshire — Huntingdonshire — Hertfordshire — Kent —
Lancaster .............. (;3

X SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAGE

A History of Decoys, Past and Present (continued) : — Lincolnshire .... 103

CHAPTER IX.

A History of Deco)'s, Past and Present {continued) : — Middlesex — Monmouthshire —

Montgomeryshire. . . . . . . . . . . . .126

CHAPTER X.
A History of Decoys, Past and Present (rt';///>/?/i'(f) : — Norfolk . . . . .130

CHAPTER XI.

A History of Decoys, Past and Present {continued) : — Northamptonshire — Nottingham-
shire— Oxfordshire — Pembrokeshire — Shropshire . . . . . . .142

CHAPTER Xn.
A History of Decoys, Past and Present {continued) : — Somerset — Staffordshire . • 152

CHAPTER XHI.

A History of Decoys, Past and Present (rt)///'//;/^) : — Suffolk 161

CHAPTER XIV.

A History of Decoys, Past and Present {continued) : — Surrey — Sussex — Warwickshire —

Westmoreland — A\iltshire ...... ..... 169

CHAPTER XV.
A H istory of Decoys, Past and Present (cwi/Zw/di/) : — Yorkshire 176

CHAPTER XVI.
A History of Decoys, Past and Present {continued) :— Scotland 18S

CHAPTER XVII.
A History of Decoys, Past and Present (t-(^//f/«^?i'(2') -.—Ireland 189

CHAPTER XVIII.
Decoys and Decoying in Holland . . -197

LIST or ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. Old George Skelton . ......

2. Driving Wildfowl ........

3. Old Engraving of a Decoy (1665) ....

4. The Man who kills the Ducks outside the Decoys

5. View of a Decoy Pipe as seen from the Head Show Place

6. Decoyman taking Birds out of Tunnel-net .

7. Decoyman enticing Wildfowl up the Decoy Pipe by the use (

8. Entrance to a Decoy Pipe, with Dog at Work, and WilJfo

up the Pipe .....

9. Decoyman driving Wildfowl up the Pipe

10. How to Cut the Ditch of a Decoy Pipe

11. Entrance to a Decoy Pipe .

12. Tunnel-net .....

13. Construction of Screens

14. Plan of a Three-pipe Decoy

15. Plan of a Decoy Pipe .

16. Plan of a Five-pipe Decoy .

17. Plan of a Cage Decoy

18. Plan of a Cage Decoy

19. Morden Decoy, Dorsetshire.

20. Berkeley Decoys, Gloucestershire

21. Ashby Decoy, Lincolnshire .

22. Friskney Decoy, Lincolnshire

23. Didlington Decoy, Norfolk .

24. Sharpham and Sedgemoor Decoys, Somerset

25. Lakenheath Decoy, Suffolk .

26. Combe Abbey Decoy, Warwickshire

27. Hornby Decoy, Yorkshire .

28. Escrick Decoy, Yorkshire .

29. Meaux Decoy, Yorkshire

30. Watton Decoy, Yorkshire

31. Trap at End of Dutch Decoy I'ipe

32. Dutch Nesting Basket .

. Frontiipiece

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THE

BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS;

THEIR

CONSTRUCTION, MANAGEMENT, AND HISTORY.

CHAPTER I.

The History of Duck Decoys is surrounded by difficulties of no ordinary
kind, for the art of constructing and working them was carefully concealed
in former times, so as to prevent as much as possible any addition to the
number already existing, which otherwise would necessitate a division of
the spoil, that spoil being the myriads of wildfowl which formerly haunted
the fenlands of England. The Decoymen kept their secrets well, and
were indeed forced to do so in their own interests, for it stood to reason
they knew that the greater the number of Decoys in use the less would
be each owner's proportionate share of birds. A Decoy was private
property, was well protected by a wide ditch or high fence, and was
as a rule in a retired and even remote situation. It was usually
worked by one man, or perhaps by a father and son, and the owner
purposely shrouded its management with mystery, and spread absurdly
inaccurate reports as to his manner of Decoying and ot the acces-
sories of the Decoy. He was always on the watch for intruders and would
on no account give them the slightest reliable information. He kept his
successes as secret as he could in a day when it was a matter of a livelihood
to him to conceal them ; for was he not fearful of an increased rent, or of
some covetous neighbour setting up a Decoy for himself hard by, and so
robbing him perchance of half his jtrofits ?

A Decoyman lived a lonely, quiet life, seldom attending fairs or
markets ; he conversed in a low tone, and his appearance and manner was
inoffensive and reserved ; always as though going stealthily for fear of

2 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

alarmins^ the ducks. He rented a considerable extent of land, mostly
marsh and low wet meadow, in the vicinity of his Decoy, so as to keep off
curious trespassers and to assist the natural solitude of its surroundings.
He helped to support his home by grazing a few sheep or cattle on the
dryer portions of the small oasis of fenland he occupied.

In the summer he cleaned out his Decoy, mended the banks and
screens, and put his nets and pipes in order. His harvest of birds began
in October and ended in March. During this period he was ever on the
watch both outside and inside his Decoy ; he lived, as it were, in a glass
house, .so that he could see on all sides and at all times what was going on.
He matched his brains and experience against the cunning and wildness
of the fowl he sought, and he usually won the contest.

When he died all he knew was handed down to his assistant in the
Decoy, most likely a near relative.

All his successor learnt was viva voce, or by watching his manoeuvres
as he attended him in the Decoy from year to year.

So from father to son were the Decoymen of past generations. Is it,
then, to be wondered that, under these circumstances, so little is now
generally known of ancient Decoys and Decoying ?

We do not expect a conjurer to divulge his tricks, yet as loth would
an old Decoyman be to disclose his artifices of Decoying.

The Derivation ok the Word Decoy.

Sir Henry Spelman, who died in 1641, says, "Sir W. Wodehouse
(who lived in the reign of James I., 1603-25) made among us the first
device for catching Ducks, known by the foreign name of a koye."

Though the statement that Sir W. Wodehouse made the first Decoy
in England is without other authorization, it is a very probable one as
regards its truth, and it is one that has been frequently copied from that
day to this.

Although the name Decoy had been previously long in use in England,
it was applied only to the tunnels of net resembling cages or pipes used for
driving fowl into as afterwards described.

THE ORIGIN OF DECOYS. 3

All writers agree — and there is no question — that the word Decoy came
from Holland, where Decoys originated. It is an abbreviation of "ende-
kooy," i.e., in Dutch, "the Duck Cage," and not merely of the word
" Kooy," as stated by our lexicographers.

Some old writers speak of the Duck-Coy, a word which would also
soon be shortened into Decoy ; others allude to the Duck traps, i.e., Duck
cages, the latter being a truthful rendering of the Dutch word.

There is no doubt that at first the word " kooy," otherwise " coy " (the
cage), was used to represent the cage of net into which the fowl were
driven in the early years of fowling, and in the later enticed.

I have no hesitation in saying that the first Decoys made, at all
resembling in principle those at present in use, were ponds or lakes fur-
nished with tunnels or cages of network into which latter the fowl were
enticed by food and, when in, secured by a dropping framework of netting
that was lowered by a cord, and closed the entrance.

One of our most ancient Decoys is precisely on this principle — that
at Haughton, Notts. It is essentially a kooy or cage for catching ducks.
Though doubtless such a cage was highly successful with hordes of wild-
fowl on all sides as in days of yore, still the more perfected pipe Decoy as
at present in use is an immense improvement on it, though maybe sug-
gested by its forerunner the cage Decoy. The cage Decoy was, I consider,
a simple device (driving the Ducks having gone out of fashion or being
prohibited) in use by the Fenmen before they took lessons from the Dutch
in the formation of a better contrivance. {See plans of a Cage Deco)-,
pages 71, 72.)

The Origin and Age of Decoys.

The first and most reliable description of a Decoy in England for
catching ducks by enticing them, is, in my opinion, that referred to by
Evelyn which Charles II. made in St. James's Park. Evelyn writes
in his Memoirs, March 29th, 1665, "His Majesty is now finishing
the Decoy in the Park." It is highly probable that this was one of
the first real Decoys made in England, and that " Sydrach Hilcus," who
constructed it, was a Dutchman imported from Holland for the purpose.

4 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Full particulars of this Decoy will be found under its name, including the
cost of the nets, reeds, poles, etc. used in its construction, and which, by
the way, closely resemble the requirements of a Decoy of the present
day.

I consider this the most valuable historical allusion to a Decoy extant.
It is spoken of as a small Decoy in an island, and it is evident that it was
a Decoy for catching ducks by alluring them into pipes or cages, and that
reed screens were used as now. All published descriptions of Decoys
previous to this date, except the somewhat vague allusions by Spelman,
speak of Decoys into which ducks were driven and not enticed.

In former times vast hosts of wildfowl bred in England, especially
in the fens that covered so much of our eastern counties, and which,
though flooded in winter, partially dried during the summer. The guns
of those days were powerless to thin their numbers, or to supply the
markets. It is only natural that the peasantry should have set to work as
best they could to obtain the birds for food and sale. We have, however,
no reliable evidence that Decoys, as now known, were, even in a primitive
form, in use before the middle of the seventeenth century. Doubtless
Decoys were generally established in the East of England soon after the
first drainage of the Fens by the Bedford Level scheme in 1653. Before
that date the annual winter floods would by necessity have destroyed any
chance of constructing Decoys in the Fen lands, though the said floods
would favour the driving of Ducks as after described. This is quite borne
out by Ray, who, writing in 1678, speaks of a Decoy at that date as a
" neiv artifice " lately introduced by the Dutch, and he then proceeds to
describe a Decoy for enticing wildfowl (much the same as now used). He
also alludes to the great number of fowl caught in a Decoy in the winter.

It is true Decoys (so named) were said to have existed in the time
of King John ; mention is also made of them as having given rise to
litigation as early as 1280, and again in 141 5 and 1432. At the last-named
date a mob armed with swords and sticks took 600 wildfowl out of the
Abbot's Decoy at Crowland monastery, infringing the rights of private
property. Daniel, in his " Rural Sports," speaks of near 3,000 mallards
being taken at one drive at Spalding. Willughby writes that sometimes
as many as 400 boats were used in this driving of the ducks, and that he

THE ORIGIN OF DECOYS.

S

knew of as many as 4,000 birds being talcen at one drive at Deeping Fen.
Gough, in his edition of Camden, mentions that about i 720 3,000 ducks
were to his knowledge driven into a single net at one time.

There are many accounts extant of this driving of the ducks into nets
in summer, and the birds are distinctly described as young or moulting at
the time they were taken, and so were driven and hustled into nets by an
advancing line of men and boats behind them. We also have a descrip-

DRIVING WILDFOWL IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

{FrojH an Old Print in the Authar's possession.)

tion of the nets used. These were V-shaped and placed at a narrow end
or point of a mere. They were long and strong, and similar in shape to
our modern Decoy pipes, though necessarily much larger. The ducks
were beaten out of the reeds and marsh into the water, and then the
young birds, being unable to fly at all, and the old ones but little, owing to
their "moulting" condition, all were easily edged on to their capture by a
compact line of men and boats, just as a net surrounds a shoal of fish.

The actual nets the birds were taken in were flanked by other nets

6 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

on either side of them, all of course tending to guide the fowl toward
the net they were subsequently driven into as a huddled crowd. See
illustration, page 5.

As, however, this method of taking fowl swept them off wholesale,
they naturally decreased in certain localities. As years went on the habit
became generally common, till at last an Act was passed prohibiting it.
This Act came in force in 1534, and debarred fowl being taken between
the 31st of May and the 31st of August in every year.

Still wildfowl protection* was not strictly enforced in those days, we
may be sure, for the fen country, where this driving used principally to
take place was well-nigh a terra incognita. Driving ducks, however, was
continued down to 1676, as at that date Willughby alludes to it, as also
does Gough still later, in 1720, when he speaks of the 3,000 ducks being
taken at Croyland at one time in a single net. This might not be an
infringement of the law, as the latter writer speaks of the owners of the
Decoy having had this large take of fowl. By owners, I consider were
meant the people who were proprietors of, or paid taxes on, some particular
piece of water which they reserved for wildfowl, as a Decoy is now.

There can be no doubt that driving ducks into a tunnel of net closed
at one end was the original method by which they were caught, and that
it suggested the formation in the first instance of the " cage," and later of
the modern Decoy as now worked and constructed. For as the fens were
drained, land apportioned, and the fowl became less abundant and tame,
and firearms were improved and more used, people found they could not
succeed in taking the birds as in days past.

If the clucks were not in sufficient numbers or had learnt to avoid the

* I find this protection was afterwards withdrawn, which no doubt accounts for the practice of
driving ducks being alluded to in more recent times. For it appears that in the fourth year of the
reign of Edward VI. (1551) the Act was repealed, but it was at the same time provided that no
person should destroy or take away the eggs of any wildfowl. The recital of this latter Act is as
follows, and for its quaint wording and allusions is worthy of insertion : — " Whereas in the xxv year
of the reign of your Majestie's father of most famous memory. King Henry the Eighth, an Act was
made containing two branches, whereof the one was against the taking of wildfowl between May 31
and August 31 with any nets or engines upon a pain limited therefor as in the second statute more
largely doth appear : and forasmuch as the occasion of the second branch appeareth sithen to have
risen but on a private case, and that no manner of common commodity is sithen perceived to have
grown of the same, being notably by daily experience, found and known, that there is at this present
less plenty of fowl brought into the markets than there was before the making of the said Act, which
is taken to come of the punishment of God, whose benefit was thereby taken away from the poor
people that were wont to live by their skill in taking of the said fowl, wherebye they were wont at
that time to sustain themselves with their poor households, to the great saving of other kinds of
victual, of which aid they are now destitute, to their great and extreme impoverishing."

WORKS RELATING TO DECOYS. 7

nets, or the mere on which the nets were placed was not at the disposal of
the fenmen, or the law forbade the catching of wildfowl in summer Avhen
young or moulting, f/n'ii they set to work to entice what fowl they could
into the nets during the zvinter, and so substituted trickery for brute force.
How completely they succeeded is well known. Instead of driving
the fowl with a mob of assistants into a net at the end of a large lake, they
now preserved the ducks on a small pool, from which one man could lure
them into a pipe or pipes attached to it, and take all the profit to himself in
a quiet and methodical manner.

Works relating to Decovs.

I possess numberless quotations from early and later writers who,
whilst professing to describe a Decoy, knew nothing whatever of the sub-
ject. All they were aware of was, that the ducks were in some way caught
in nets connected with a small piece of water.

The operation of catching, and the arrangement of the Decoy, they
never saw. But as they could not ignore the subject in the sporting and
topographical works of the day, they drew upon their imaginations, or
eagerly copied one another's statements.

Some of their conjectures were ludicrous in the extreme. One writer
affirmed that the whole Decoy and its enclosure was surrounded and covered
in with a huge net. Another, that a dog was sent into the water at dusk to
allure the ducks by swimming among them, and that the ducks swam a/
the door to eat him, thinking he was a shoal of fish, and were so led into a
net. A third contended that a dog was required to alarm the fowl off the
water in the first instance, and afterwards to drive them into the net like a
flock of sheep.

The earliest attempt at a true description of a Decoy for enticing
ducks occurs in the Universal Magazine of April, 1753. The writer really
narrates with tolerable accuracy the general outline of a Decoy and its
management. He evidently on one occasion paid a visit to a Decoy, but
doubtless was rather puzzled to remember aright all he saw therein when
he wrote up his notes at home. Still his account has a vein of truth
throughout. Blome in 1686, Bewick in 1804, Pennant in 18 12, and Oliver
Goldsmith in i8r6, also each give some sort of an idea of a Decoy, as
does Nicholson in " The British Encyclopedia" (1809).

8 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Maxwell in 1830 is as good as any, and being an energetic sportsman
and favoured writer, no doubt had means of personally inspecting a Decoy.

In the " London Encyclopaedia," 1839, is a short but accurate notice
of a Decoy, and how it is worked.

Some other references to Decoys are as follows : " England Illus-
trated" (R. & J. Dodsley, London, 1764). " Itinerarium Curiosum "
(William Stukeley, M.D. Second edition, 1776). This author gives an
excellent account of a Decoy, together with an accurate plan of a five-pipe
Decoy almost exactly similar to one given herein. " Bradley on Garden-
ing" (1/26). " A Natural History " (John Bigland, 1806).

In more modern times came Lubbock with his charming account of
the " Fauna of Norfolk " (1845). He described a Decoy as he knew it and
saw it, the one that belonged to his friend Mr. Kerrison at Ranworth Broad.
He simply gave the result of his own observations and borrowed from
nobody. Next we have F"olkard, who, devoting several pages to the subject
in his " Wildfowler " (first edition, 1859), epitomized and criticized many
previous writers about Decoys, collected information as to their history
and construction, and faithfully described them in a general way from his
personal acquaintance therewith.

Then we have Mr. Thomas Southwell of Norwich, who contributed
to " The Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society " in
1 88 1 an excellent paper on the Decoys of his own county. He took great
pains to gain particulars of the Norfolk Decoys, and I am much indebted
to him for the privilege of using the results of his researches in Norfolk, as
well as for his interesting notes of the " Skelton Family."

Next, in 1883, Mr. C. Davies published a work on the " Norfolk
Rivers and Broads," with some excellent sketches of the Decoy pipes at
Fritton Lake, reproduced in " Peter Penniless," by the same author (1884).

In " Yarrell's British Birds " (fourth edition, 1885) is a faithful though
brief description of a Decoy, furnished by the Rev. Richard Lubbock,
author of the " Fauna of Norfolk," for the first edition of the " History of
British Birds."

As I have said, many other references to Decoys exist In various
works which I have not quoted, but they are one and all either too absurd
or too meagre to deserve mention.*

* A long and curiously ridiculous plan and description of a Decoy occurs in " Loudon's

WORKS RELATING TO DECOYS. 9

It is an interesting fact that the very curious engraving of a Decoy
here given should coincide in date (1665) with the one alhided to by
Evelyn (page 3). This is the earliest s/ceU/i of a Decoy and its pipes as
nozc used in existence. It is from " The Fables of ^sop, Paraphrased in
Verse, adorned with Sculpture and illustrated with Annotations. By John

OLD ENORAVINC OK A ^)E(:o^■ (1665).

Ogilby, Esq., Master of His Majesty's Revells in the Kingdom of Ireland.
London : Printed by T. Roycroft for the Author, .mdclxv." Fable i.xxix.,
"The Husbandman and the .Stork," page 200.

Encyclopedia of Agriculture," 5th edition, 1844, page 1,092; and one which is partially
copied into "A Dictionary of Science and Art," by Brande and Cox (1865J.

C

lo THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The Position of Decoys in the British Islands.

It is pretty certain that Decoys for catcliing ducks were first used in
Lincolnsliirc and Essex, and that the neighbouring counties of North-
am|)toii, Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Yorkshire followed suit.

The stronghold of Decoys was at and near Holland Fen, Spalding,
Crowland, and Lincoln, and more than anywhere else between Wainfleet
and Boston, some of the best being at Friskney.

This is not a matter of surprise when we consider the intercourse that
formerly existed between Holland and the harbours of the Wash by means
of small trading vessels, as related by local historians of the day.

So it was also with Essex and Suffolk, for the Dutch were continually
trading to the rivers and ports of those counties long ago, both as
smugglers, fishermen, and merchants.

On seeing the immense number of wildfowl that haunted the fens of
Lincoln, both near the coast as well as inland, the Dutch naturally either
suggested the making of Decoys in their own interests, or for the friends
they visited. They doubtless saw that the wholesale method of driving
the ducks was, through various causes, such as drainage and protective
laws, going out of use — a method no doubt originally taught by themselves,
as the name implied. But they had given up the system too, probably on
account of its only being feasible occasionally ; it also required a host of
men and boats, the profits were shared by a mob ; in addition to this, the
fowl were taken when not full-grown or in good condition. They therefore
taught, or at all events assisted, the fenmen to construct Decoys on a much
improved principle, and a far more remunerative one to their individual
owners.

But unlike the compact Lincolnshire Decoys, the Decoys of Norfolk
till the end of the last century consisted of extensive lakes. To these
were attached several pipes, according to the success expected, or after-
wards encountered.

These large straggling lakes were, however, ill adapted for Decoys.
Very likely they had been previously used for driving fowl, as was the case
in Lincolnshire, and that the pipes, when the people took to enticing ducks
up them in winter, instead of driving them into them in late summer, had
by degrees been greatly reduced in size.

THE POSITION OF DECOYS. n

But at last came a radical change. An old man named George
Skelton emigrated from Friskney, the home of Decoys, to Norfolk. He
at once condemned the large Norfolk lakes as Decoys ; he plainly showed
that on such e.xtensive waters the fowl were out of reach of the Decoyman
and his allurements, that the birds had not sufficient shelter thereon, and
that from their size it was not possible to keep them clear of ice. He
put his words to good proof, for Lubbock tells us that " Mr. Huntingdon
of Somerton being about to form a Decoy out of a low and overgrown
part of his marshes at Winterton, engaged an elderly man named George
Skelton from Friskney, in Lincolnshire, and desired him to state the size
which he preferred for his Decoy. To every one's amazement, from two to
two acres and a half was the space wished for ; workmen were put on, and
the Decoy in miniature, as compared to others in Norfolk, was soon com-
pleted. Other Decoymen laughed when told of the petty puddle in which
Mr. Skelton chose to exercise his skill. But laughter ceased and amaze-
ment began, when, in the second year of his superintendence, Skelton took
i,ioo teal in seven consecutive days."

Till the end of the last century, Lincolnshire was certainly the county
most famous for Decoys, and in which a greater number existed than else-
where. Pennant records that 31,000 ducks were caught in one season in
ten Decoys in the neighbourhood of Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, and adds that
the Decoymen " would be glad to contract for years to sell their ducks
at 5d. apiece."

At the Ashby Decoy, in Lincolnshire, even in comparatively recent
times (1834-1868), the Decoy Book accounts for just 100,000 ducks in
thirty-four seasons of catching.

Now, though Lincolnshire had great returns, other counties did won-
derfully well, particularly Essex, with its immense estuaries and their
feeding grounds to attract the fowl.

The Essex Decoys were individually famous ones, and rivalled in
number those of Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Suffolk contained a fair
number, but Cambridgeshire and other adjoining counties only a few.

Yorkshire boasted several in its eastern division, about the great
marshes of Holderness. Dorset and Hampshire had one or two each,
Kent a couple. There were a score or so in Ireland, none in Scotland,
and but few in Wales. In Somerset, especially about the vast morasses

12 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

of Glastonbury, Decoys have long existed— a dozen or more. The wild
moorlands and flooded marshes formerly so numerous in that county were
highly favourable for attracting wildfowl. But later on I shall treat of the
Decoys and their respective counties in alphabetical order, and shall give
the history and position of each as distinctly as possible.

The Skeltons.

This was a famous family of Decoymen who came from Friskney, in
Lincolnshire, at the beginning of the present century, the various members
of which constructed or remodelled nearly all our best Decoys, past and
present, and a few of their descendants are still in active work as Decoy-
men to this day.

The Skeltons were unrivalled in their knowledge of Decoying and
skill in the construction of Decoys, and were, as I have said, the first to
introduce into Norfolk the small pools of their native district in lieu of
the large lakes previously used as Decoys in that county.

The first of the name to leave Lincolnshire was " Old George Skelton";
he was brought to Somerton in 1807 by Mr. Huntington, to design a Decoy
for him on his estate, an account of which transaction I have given.

Old George was accompanied or soon followed by his four sons,
George, William, Richard, and Henry.

Old George, as stated, made, and till his death worked, the Winterton
Decoy in Norfolk. He died in 1840, aged eighty, and was buried in
Winterton Churchyard.

His son William removed to Combe Abbey, Warwickshire, where he
made a Decoy for Lord Craven, and worked it till his death in 1867, at
the age of seventy-eight ; he also made several others, including Lord
Caledon's in Ireland. William had two sons, of whom one, T. Gilbert
Skelton, lately constructed (1885) Lord Lilford's Decoy near Thrapstone,
and the other holds a large farm under Lord Powerscourt in Ireland.

Richard Skelton was for many years Decoyman for the Gurney family
at Hempstead. He left that place and took a Decoy at Methwold shortly
before his death, which occurred in 1849, at the age of fifty-three years.

THE SKELTONS. 13

He had five sons, three of whom died younjr. His son Richard, now in
the service of Lord Lilford, was many years Decoy man to Mr. R. Page at
the Marsh House Decoy in Essex, and Henry is gamekeeper at Wooley
Park, Wantage. There was also a daughter, who married a Mr. Register,
and who is now Hving at Southery, near Downham Market, in Norfolk.

Henry Skelton, the fourth son of old George, succeeded his father at
the Winterton Decoy. He died in 1861, aged fifty-two years, and was
buried near his father at Winterton.

Old George, and equally so his four sons, were skilled in all con-
nected with Decoys to a degree no one has since attained, or perhaps,
for that matter, ever equalled in days previous.

I will now speak of the eldest son of " Old George," who, after his
father's death, was always himself alluded to as " Old George Skelton."

In 1806 "Old George" the second, with his brothers William and
Richard, erected the Methwold Decoy, and worked it for fifteen years.
He then removed to Dersingham, where, about 1818, he set up a Decoy.
This he worked till his death in 1857. In the meantime, however, he had
worked the Wormegay Decoy for a short time, and constructed one at
Narford Lake and another at South Acre, both for the Rev. Mr. Fountaine.
He also made one for Lord Bateman at Shobden, in Herefordshire, besides
assisting in constructing one at Hornby Castle, for the seventh Duke of
Leeds. In remodelling the Wretham Decoy in Norfolk for Mr. Birch he
caught a severe cold, from which he never recovered, and died at Dersing-
ham on February 14th, 1857, ^^^ the age of sixty-seven years.

This George Skelton is described as a " very peculiar man," short of
stature, web-footed like a duck (see Frontispiece), very strongly built,
particularly kind in disposition, perfectly indifferent to cold and hardship,
well-informed, and unequalled in skill in the construction and management
of Decoys.

With all these advantages he might have died in comfort and even
affluence, but unhappily late in life he gave way to a passion for drink,
probably engendered by the cold and hardships he underwent in his pro-
fession. This greatly impoverished him. A gentleman who visited him
on his deathbed thus described his visit to Mr. Southwell : — " The house
Skelton lived in stood quite alone in the marshes, no great distance from
the seashore, and was at that time at least two miles from any other dwell-

14 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

ing. It consisted of a long, low, and gloomy room. On asking for him,
his wife pointed to a corner of the room. On looking there I could see
nothing but ducks and wildfowl hanging on strings. On repeating the
question where Skelton was, some of these strings of wildfowl were taken
down, and I found him King on a four-post bed. These strings of wildfowl
were stretched from one post to another all round the bed, so as to form
regular curtains, that shut him in completely from view." He died from a
thickening of the membrane of the throat, brought on by e.xposure to
damp and cold, and greatly aggravated by his habits of intemperance.
George Skelton was twice married, and left one child by his first wife, and
five by his second. He had more experience of Decoys and Decoying
than any other member of his family, not even excepting his father.

The likeness of him in the frontispiece I am able to give through the
kindness of the Duke of Leeds, who possesses the original picture. On it
is written, " Old George Skelton appearing with the first fruits of the South
Acre Decoy, Nov., 1854."

The Law of Decoys.

This need only occupy a page or two.

A Decoy is considered to be a private preserve containing wildfowl
valuable to its owner for food or sale.

The Decoy owner expends money and employs skill in taking that
which is of use to the public. It is a profitable mode of employing his
land, and was considered by Lord Holt as a description of trade. He
depends upon his Decoy as a source of profit ; if a poor man, for his
livelihood. Though he can lay no claim to the ducks, when flying outside
his Decoy, he is protected by the law from injury to them when within
the precincts of the Decoy. Though Decoys have no special Act for their
safety, yet they are protected by Common Law from wilful damage,
whether it be to the Decoy, its nets and fences and other accessories, or
to the ducks in it.

Any wilful act intended to deteriorate the value of the Decoy, can be
prevented, or the owner recover damages for, just as he would in any
ordinary system of trade, if he were annoyed and suffered loss thereby.

THE LAW OF DECOYS. 15

A neighbour may on his own land, however near it, fire a gun at
wildfowl passing over him, whether they be going toward the Decoy or
otherwise, but he cannot fire a bullet or shot actually into or over the
Decoy to wilfully disturl:) it, whether his object be to raise the thicks so
that he may get shots at them as they pass near him, or merely to satisf)'
a grudge against the Decoyman by hindering his successes.

Such conduct is actionable, because it is malicious injury to valuable
property, as it would be did he light a fire to stink the ducks out of the
Decoy, as has been sometimes done.

If a man invade the Decoy he can, of course, be sued for a trespass by
its owner in the ordinary way.

If he, from outside the Decoy, though he be on his ow)i land, wilfully
cause damage to the Decoy by alarming the ducks in it with an evident
malicious intent, he can be prevented by law, and the Decoy owner
can recover compensation. For though the owner of a Decoy has no
property in the wildfowl that frequent it, yet an action is maintainable at
the suit of the Decoy owner if a person, in order to scare away the fowl
and in the exercise of no reasonable right of his own, wilfully shoot even
on his own land, because such an act is within the rule laid down that no
man is to be injured in his trade.

There are several well-known cases affecting the rights ot Decoys,
two of which I will briefly refer to.

In 1706 an important test action was tried concerning the rights of a
Decoy. Two Decoys were situated close to one another. One owner was
jealous of the other's successes.

He therefore went to the immediate vicinity of his rival's Decoy, and
on two occasions fired off a gun repeatedly to damage it, and to Irightin
away the ducks in his neighbour's Decoy. This case was twice argued
before the Court of King's Bench, and the arguments are full)- given in
" A Report of all the Cases determined by L. C. J. Holt," p. 14.

The judgment of the Court was given in favour of the plaintiff, and
was to this effect : —

" That the plaintiff had learned the art of alluring wild ducks to a
pond on his private property, and that he did so for his own pleasure and
profit, as he had every right to do.

" That in doing so he was put to considerable expense and trouble, m

i6

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

order that he might supply the markets with valuable produce, and so be
recompensed by the sale thereof.

"That the person who made the Decoy should benefit by the skill,
outlay, and care requisite to construct and manage it.

" Thus the owner of a Decoy had every reason to expect the law to
protect him from wilful injury to it."

The compensation allowed was ,^20, not for the actual loss ot the
fowl, as such could not well be calculated, but for the disturbance of the
Decoy, which really means the same thing.

This case was known as Keeble v. Hickeringall.

THE MAN WHii KILLS I'HK, DUCKS OUISIUK IHK DECOY.

Another case of the kind occurred afterwards — an interesting one, as
it was shown that no one had a right to wilfully disturb a Decoy even
from the distance of several hundred yards, or when in a boat on tidal
water.

The action arose from a wildfowl shooter on a tidal creek near the
Decoy, firing a gun from his boat on purpose to disturb the ducks. After
alarming, and so driving the fowl from the shelter of the Decoy, the
shooter shot several as they passed near him. He did not approach the
Decoy nearer than 200 yards.

The defendant reasoned that he had every right to fire at wildfowl

PHRASEOLOGY OF A DECOY. 17

in an arm or creek of the sea wherein the tide ebbed and flowed, and that
was free to every one ; and, further, that he had not ventured upon the
land near the Decoy.

But the Court held that a Decoy was protected by law, as were
various other properties that required guarding against wilful damage.
This case was also quoted in favour of the plaintiff

It is known as Carrington v. Taylor, is reported in 11 East, 57' ;
2 Camp. 258 ; and the Decoy it occurred at was the one at Beaumont cum
Mose in Essex in 18 10.

The Phraseology of a Decoy.

A Decoy is a cunning and clever combination of water, nets, and
screens, by means of which wildfowl, such as Wigeon, Mallard, and Teal,
are caught alive.

A Decoyman is the man who works and manages the Decoy, and who
by his art, as well as by his knowledge of the birds and their surroundings
when in the waters of the Decoy, entraps them.

The Pipe7' is the dog used in Decoying.

The Pipes are the long, curving, net-covered ditches in which the
actual capture of the ducks takes place.

The Screens are the reed shelters from behind which the Decoyman,
unseen by the birds, practises his allurements on them.

The Hoops are the curved rods of wood or iron, half circular in shape,
that span the ditches like arches, and support the netting.

The Head Shezu is the spot at which the Decoyman first appears,
when he gets behind the ducks to frighten them up the pipe they have
been lured into. {See opposite page.)

The Breast-wall is formed by the one or usually two screens that
flank the right-hand entrance to a pipe on looking down it, and which
shelter the Breast-wall Landing.

The Draught of a Pipe is the part of the pond that, getting narrower
as it leaves the main water of the Decoy, leads to the pipe's entrance.

Reed Edges are the small beds of reed usually placed about halfway
between the mouth of each pipe for the fowl to hide in, as is their custom
at times.

D

1 8 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Dog yiinips The low short screens, that connect the ends of the
high screens, placed for the dog to jump over when decoying.

The Yackoop (from Wake up) is the dog-jump between the breast-wall
screens.

Tunnel Net. The extreme end of the pipe, and which is detachable
when it contains birds.

Landing-places are the smooth banks that flank the mouth of each
pipe, to tempt the fowl to rest thereon, and which are called the Breast-
wall and the Back-wing Landings. When so resting the fowl are said to
be " banked," and are then at a negotiable distance for decoying up the
pipe near which they happen to sit.

Decoy Dticks are the tame birds always kept in a Decoy to assist in
luring the wild ones up the pipes, as well as to attract them to, and by their
fellowship keep them in, the Decoy.

Food. The grain used for feeding the fowl up the pipes.

Ttirf consists of a piece of burning turf or peat, which, with a piece
of sharp stick stuck into it as a handle, is kept near the mouth, and
breathed on to destroy any smell of the breath or clothes of the operator,
when the Decoy is visited or worked.

I will next describe the aspect of a Decoy, then the construction and
working of it.

I will be as concise as the subject allows, and in order to make my
description as useful and comprehensive as possible ; will print the instruc-
tions and remarks as distinct as I can.

For a plan of a pipe illustrating its phraseology see illustration facing
page 57-

What .\ Decoy consists of.

A piece of open water of from one to three acres, of a uniform depth
of two to three feet, though shelving shallower to the sides, and surrounded
by trees and shrubs.

Attached to this open water are from one to eight curving ditches ;
the usual number being three to six, seldom less or more.

Each ditch has a width at its mouth, under the first hoop, of from

WHAT A DECOY CONSISTS OF. 19

18 to 21 feet ; rarely more than 21 feet, though in some cases a foot or
two less than 18 feet.

These ditches are 60 to 70 yards long on the outside of their curves,
and by degrees they taper away from their wide or pond ends to a width
of only 2 feet at their extremities or tail ends.

The depth of the ditches is i foot to 18 inches at their entrances, and
shallowing to a few inches only at their narrow ends. They twist away
from the pond into the brushwood and trees out of sight, so that any one
looking in at the mouth of a pipe could only see up about half way, owing
to the way the ditch ciu-ves.

Over each ditch, and fixed on its banks, are placed arched iron hoops,
in former times wooden, 5 feet apart, the first one of which, near the mouth
of the ditch, is from 12 to 15 feet high from the top of the arch to the
water beneath.

These hoops get lower and lower, and also of course narrower and
narrower, as they follow at short intervals the course of the ditch they span,
till at the end of the latter they are only 2 feet high.

Over the hoops is stretched netting, making all appear like a huge
serpent-shaped cage. The ditch and net-covered hoops form a Decoy Pipe.

Along each pipe, for two-thirds of its length on the outside of its
curve, and 2 to 3 feet distant from its bank, are placed ten to twelve over-
lapping reed screens, each 1 2 feet long and 6 feet high, besides a much
longer one outside the mouth of the net-covered pipe, known as the
head end screen, and two others beyond this, called the breast-wall
screens.

These screens are so arranged in echelon that the Decoyman can pass
along them out of sight of the pipe. Nor can any towl on the pond, or
any birds he is decoying up the pipe, see him or his actions.

The posts of the i 2-feet screens are 3 feet apart where they overlap
at their ends, and the spaces between them are joined by lower screens,
2 feet 6 inches high, called dog-jumps.

At various parts of the pond edge are the smooth banks called
" Landings."

The pond itself, as well as the mouths of the pipes, are also more or
less surrounded by screens or " banking," judiciously placed, so that the
Decoyman can, through small peep-holes, observe the birds from behind

20 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

shelter, or move from one part of the Decoy to another unobserved
by them.

With a quiet neighbourhood of meadow, wood and water, and some-
times marsh, for a quarter of a mile or more on all sides, to add to the
seeming security of the ducks, we have in this description the general
outline of a Decoy.

For a sketch of a Decoy illustrating its formation see plan facing page
55 ; and for an enlarged plan of a Decoy Pipe refer to cut opposite
page 57.

21

CHAPTER II.

DECOYING.

The System of Catching the Birds when in the Decoy Fives.

In all Decoys, the sole object of the Decoyman is to induce the wild
ducks to enter under the netting of a pipe, and then to swim up its ditch
to such a distance that he can cut off their retreat back to the pond.

This latter manoeuvre the Decoyman achieves by getting behind the
birds when he has enticed them far enough up the pipe, and then, by
suddenly showing himself, first at the entrance of the pipe, and afterwards
over the dog-jumps between the screens as he quickly passes along their
rear, he frightens them up it.

This feat is the backbone of Decoying. The surprised fowl having
no time to consider, and sooner than pass by the Decoyman, who, so to
speak, bars their way back to the pond again, they dash away from him up
the pipe.

Such a course they would never take but that the bend or twist of
the pipe, which hides its fatal closed end, deludes them into thinking, in
their hurry and confusion, that it leads round its curve to open space and
so to freedom.

It is an act that when suddenly alarmed they cannot weigh the wisdom
of, though in their cooler moments they are with difficulty induced to swim
even a few yards up a pipe for fear of a snare.

As they follow one another pell-mell and wild with fright, n-bounding
against the net of the pipe as they drive along, they become more and
more confused and crowded, and still less able to judge whithcn- they are
speeding.

Yet on they go, for are they not conscious of the; drcadtul torm ol the

22

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Decoyman ever behind and c\'en approaching them ? * {See illustration
facing page 34.)

Finally, instead of escaping, poor deluded birds ! they are taken in the
tunnel net that forms the tail of the pipe, panting and exhausted.

r)ECO\M,\N TAKING, BIRDS OUT OF TUNNEL NET.

How all this is achieved without another bird in the Decoy being
alarmed will presently be seen.

The Methods used by the Decoyman to Decoy the Ducks out of
THE Decoy Pond into the Ph^es, and the Reasons why he is
able to bring about this Result.

We have just seen what occurs za/ieii the ducks are enticed far

enough up the pipe for the Decoyman to drive them into the tunnel net

• It was the custom long ago for a Decoyman to sport a scarlet coat, believing that
therein he was an object of greater terror to the fowl when driving them.

DECOYING WITH A DOG. 23

successfully. I have yet to explain ivhy and how the birds are induced
to go the necessary distance under the net to find themselves in such an
unpleasant dilemma.

The actual decoying or luring of the fowl up a pipe, and well under
its net, is achieved by two methods only. Though the means used are
quite distinct, they both tend to the same end, and that end, by the way, is
the tail end of a pipe.

The wished-for result is brought about by either dogging or feeding,
as Decoymen call it, or both systems combined ; that is by using a dog,
or else by the use of food, such as wheat, oats, or barley.

Dogging.

A dog is brought into play to attract the fowl far enough up the pipe
to enable the Decoyman to cut off their retreat back again to the pond.

Here I will digress a little, and say it is pretty well known how curious
birds, and especially wildfowl, are.

They are likewise great braggarts.

So are sheep and other animals.

So are cattle and geese.

If a dog chases sheep, cattle, or geese, they run from him in alarm ;
should he hesitate or turn tail, they in their turn go after hivi. This they
will do, with every expression of courage, as well as of defiance.

Anything that appears strange or unusual in their eyes is a great
attraction to a bird or animal, and in this consists their curiosity. I have
seen tame Decoy ducks almost peck a fox curled up asleep, or seemingly
so, on the bank of a Decoy.

So with the wild ducks, if they see a dog hopping about near them,
now close by, now lost to view, their curiosity and excitement cannot hold
them. They 77iust follow to know more about it, and so they do too, necks
craned and eyes brightly inquisitive.

Their courage and curiosity last just as long as the dog retreats before
them, as they think he does.

They know nothing, of course, about the Decoyman liiddcn from

24 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

thfir view behind the screens, who is really beckoning the clog up the side
of the pipe andy>w;/ the ducks.

Should the dog turn about and face them with a whine, or even look
over his shoulder, off they all splash in a flutter, till he once more retires
before them, when they follow him as before, and are thus gradually
enticed on to their fate.

The natural instinct against a fox is very strong in all birds, but
especially so in regard to ducks ; for is he not always ready to pounce upon
them unawares when enjoying a siesta, or even when sitting on their
eggs?

Should a fo.\ sneak along the banks of a Decoy, every duck is on the
alert at once. They rush after him. I have seen them.

They take good care, however, to keep at a safe distance ; and as with
a dog, should he turn towards them, they tumble over one another in
anxious flight.

I consider the ducks believe a dog to be in some sort a fox, or nearly
related.

A tox-coloured dog, with a good brush, is always a successful Decoy
dog, if he otherwise does his work well.

Ducks therefore follow dogs and foxes from curiosity, from hatred, as
well as from braggadocio, and also because when he retires from them they
imagine that for once in a way they are driving off a cruel oppressor — a
natural enemy. They flatter themselves that their bold looks and assembled
numbers bring about this satisfactory result.

I know a curious instance of this ; it is as follows : —

A friend of mine who owns a Decoy observed one day a fine fox
sitting upon the ice, during a hard frost, in the centre of his Decoy Pond.
The wild ducks literally crowded round him in a ring, just as if he were
haranguing them, or were a politician at an electoral meeting.

When the inquisitive ducks edged up, as Reynard judged, within his
reach, he would slowly gather his hind quarters together and then suddenly
spring at them.

But owing to the slippery ice his foothold failed, and a ludicrous
somersault was the result of his efforts.

The ducks rushed off in dire alarm, half scrambling, half flying, only
to face about and gradually draw with inquiring looks and low interrogative

DECOYING WITH A DOG. 25

" quacks " towards the fox again, as he once more recovered his composure
and sat up on his haunches as before.

The fox made several futile attempts at a capture, only to get an absurd
sprawling fall every time he tried to spring.

Finally, he left the ice looking sulky and supperless, the ducks follow-
ing him to the bank as he retired. This very fox my friend once caught
in the tunnel net of a pipe, whither he unadvisably let himself be driven.
He had just previously been seen sneaking about the inside of the pipe
after the Decoy ducks. He was caught and well whipped with a light twig,
as a warning to him to leave the Decoy and its ducks alone. This was at
a time when the pond was covered with ice. By the next morning the fox
had well avenged the insult to his person, for at daylight not one out of
seventeen Decoy ducks was left alive. Heads in one direction, bodies in
another, and blood and feathers all over the ice of the Decoy. I need
scarcely add that the fox-hunting folk, when they heard of the affair, were
greatly amused, and hinted at a "just retribution."

I have said a good deal about ivhy the ducks follow the dog, I will
now explain Jiow they are induced to do so, and describe the part the dog
takes in the pantomime of decoying the ducks.

His master, the Decoyman, whom he knows well and obeys implicitly,
whether the order be given by a whisper or by a move of the hand, signals
him to the mouth of the pipe and bids him by a sign lie down behind a
screen.

The Decoyman next cautiously reconnoitres, through the peep-
holes in the screens, the ducks swimming about the pond ; and near
the mouth of the pipe he has decided, owing to favourable circum-
stances, to work. He has, of course, selected a pipe that suits the wind,
and about the mouth of which, and on the l)anks near, the birds are
gathered.

After noting the position of the fowl, he, by a sign, directs his dog-
to bound over one of the dog-jumps near the mouth oi the pipe. He takes
care that the dog has no birds above him up tlie pipe, Ijut that the)' are
always on the pond side of him, so as to follow, not to meet him. In the
latter case they would not Decoy.

The dog having jumped into \icw from the corner of the screen, runs

26 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

round its front between it and the ditch of the pipe, and pops back over
the next dog-jump behind the same screen.

He repeats the manoeuvre, springing into view of the ducks again
from the jump he just disappeared over, and so encompassing screen
number two.

This alternate jumping into sight, followed by a short, frisking run,
and then the vanishing again on the part of the dog, is continued from
screen to screen till the ducks have followed the enticer well under the net
and too far for their safety.

The Dccoyman, hidden himself, also moves from screen to screen
towards the tail of the pipe, keeping pace with his dog, and taking a
quick look now and then through the peep-hole in each screen in order to
see how the ducks are progressing up the pipe after the dog. (See opposite
page.)

The latter he encourages by gestures to be smart and cheerful in his
movements, rewarding him from time to time with titbits of cheese, meat,
or cake.

If he sees the ducks hang at one spot and hesitate to proceed, he puts
his dog quickly round the scree.i just above them, two or three times in
succession. This will usually bring them on. It sometimes happens that
the landing under the Breast-wall screens has fowl on it that cannot see or
will not follow the dog as the latter appears from behind the screens near
the pipe.

In this case the Decoyman puts his dog over the " Yackoop " between
these two screens and right among the birds, when, though apparently very
alarmed at first, they usually, some of them, end by following their disturber
up the pipe.

The sprightlier the dog works, the better, so long as he Is absolutely
mute and obedient.

I need scarce note that the dog, starting at or near the mouth of the
pipe, continues his erratic course invariably towards Its tail end, taking
each screen and its jump in succession.

DECOYING WITH FOOD. 27

Feeding.

Food is also used to attract the fowl far enough up the pipe to enable
the Decoyman to cut off their retreat back again to the pond.

Feeding is one of the cleverest arts of the Decoyman, and one only
learnt by long experience. The secret of it consists in just knowing how
to give both the tame ducks, and the wild ones that are following them, as
much grain as appeases their \\wx\<g's.x for the moment, and the next moment
makes them wish for more. As long as the Decoyman can keep the birds
exactly in the right state of hunger, he has them, so to speak, under his
thumb.

If too hungry, the tame ducks will rush away from the wild ones up
the pipe (who will then fail to follow). If not hungry to a certain extent,
they will not come up at all, or if they do, so slowly as to be of little use.

If the wild ducks get too much grain thrown them they will not follow
with the tame birds up the pipe, but cluster round the food and remain
stationary. All this has to be attended to by the Decoyman when in the
act of feeding.

Tame ducks and wild ducks should be so fed that they mingle together
if possible, or at all events swim steadily up the pij^e, whether together or
separate.

So that the Decoyman as he walks away from the birds towards the
tail of the pipe and behind the screens, gradually, and inch by inch, by
judicious throwing of grain over the top of each screen in succession — not
too much and not too little — draws the fowl after him. He continually
peeps through the screens as he passes along their rear to see how matters
are progressing in the pipe. Finally, he leads the birds a few yards under
the net to the spot in the pipe at which he knows their retreat can be
barred by his showing himself at its entrance.

If wild ducks are very hungry they will now and then swim up a pipe
after the food without the Decoyman using the tame birds to lead the way,
as the latter may be out of reach of his whistle across the pond.

But usually some of the tame Decoys, who are generally paddling
about the mouths of the pipes, swim up first, and first commence feeding
on the grain thrown into the water, near the entrance of the pipe, by
the Decoyman. But should there be none about, they soon catch sight of

28 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

the falling grain, or see a wild duck feeding on it, else hear the Decoyman's
low whistle, and so draw up from all directions. •

The wild birds, after due caution and a litde consukation, begin feed-
ing too, though at first very reservedly.

But they see the Decoy ducks regaling on good store, and in fact
getting more than their share — why should they not join the feast ?

So they do, timidly at first, it is true ; then they wax bolder, for the
food is unusual and gooJ, and they are hungry.

Somehow or other the Decoy ducks and the grain are always just a
little in front of them ; they find they invariably have to paddle a few feet
now and then to get their share, or else they are left out in the cold.

They do not feed very comfortably though, for the further they swim
up the curious-looking cage, which is apparently open at both ends, the
more they hesitate and drop backwards when the grain is eaten, and till it
next appears.

However 'tis but a few yards behind them to open sky and water and
assured safety. But their suspicions being ever latent, and now slightly
aroused, they had better, they decide, retire, and let those foolish ducks (the
tame ones), suffer any consequences that may ensue from so boldly explor-
ing a place that does not at its best seem one a cautious duck should
venture in so far.

Alas, it is too late ! Retreat there is none. Forward ! forward ! any-
how and anywhere, rather than back to the pond and past the Decoyman,
who has now suddenly appeared in their rear at the entrance to the pipe.

So on they drive into the fatal tunnel net, wherein they are taken just
as before told, when a dog was lately used to the destruction of some of
their relatives in another pipe hard by.

On the coast many more fowl are taken by feeding than by dogging.
This is especially the case in regard to Wigeon. Wigeon visit the tidal
banks nightly, that is if the Decoy they frequent by day is within a few
miles of the sea or its estuaries.

If the tides cover the ooze banks lonsfer than usual owino- to an on-
shore wind, or they are much disturbed by the gunn^jrs through the night,
they are unusually hungry the next day.

This is all in the Decoyman's favour, and he will more often feed tide-

DECOYING WITH FOOD. 29

frequenting birds up tlie pipes owing to such causes than make them follow
the dog. They are then too hungry to be curious. Wigeon at all times
feed up a pipe better than they follow a dog.

On the other hand, if fowl are not hungry, as is commonly the case
with inland Duck and Teal, when marshes and rivers and rich water
meadows are near, then the dog is the most certain means of attracting
their notice.

When feedinsf, throw the food from behind the screens over their
tops, not only into the middle of the ditch, but as far also under the
opposite bank of the pipe as possible, as the fowl will swim up more readily
the further they are away from the screens.

On bright, fine days fowl are brisk and on the qui vive. In dull, wet,
or misty weather much the reverse. In the latter it often happens neither
dog nor food will move them.

I have shown now both dog and food are used to entice the fowl up
the pipes, I will now describe the effect the dog has on the birds them-
selves. Why they follow the food I have already explained.

The Effect of the Dog on the Ducks.

Let us glance through the peep-hole of the screen that flanks the
mouth of a pipe, on the sheltered side of the pond. See, the fowl are
sleeping ! Some idly jerking their bodies round and round in irregular
twists, with an occasional stroke of one foot as they float on the water.

Some are sitting just beneath us on the banks near the entrance of the
pipe with their heads tucked in, giving a wriggle of the bill now and then,
as though to divide the feathers of the back, and so pillow their heads more
cosily. Their eyes just show. Are they shut or open ? or half open ?
'Tis hard to say.

Never was there a more peaceful, innocent scene ; for surely, consider
the ducks, this is pure, unalloyed happiness ; no guns banging off, no foxes,
no human destroyers. No, nothing, absolutely nothing, to disturb their
repose so well earned after a toilsome night spent far away in search ol
food.

No cares of any kind, no need even of their usual sentries. Yet,

30 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

perchance, they cannot help sadly reflecting on the fate of those poor ducks
in distant places, who are forever pursued by men with dogs and guns ;
who, alas ! can never enjoy real peace of mind, whether eating or sleeping,

who but what, in Fortune's name, was thai ? Up goes every

head in an instant. The birds fastest asleep of all are on the alert as soon
as an)-.

I saw nothing — did you ? did you ? Did you hear anything ? is what,
judging from their looks, fancy shapes into words for them as they stand or
swim with stretched necks and glistening eyes peering towards the pipe
and its screens.

Some even swim inquiringly a few feet in the direction of the supposed
but doubtful " something moving."

Save a few suspicious old Mallards, who stand motionless and erect
on the bank, all begin to settle to rest and sleep as before. Perhaps it was only
a leaf settling down after all, or a harmless, though restless and so trouble-
some rabbit, or else There ! there it is again — a fox ! a fox ! — no, a

dog ! Not a moment is to be lost, or we shall not see him plainly, or know
what he is about.

The birds, poor silly creatures for this once ! — not at any other time,
rest assured — rush, yes scramble, through the water up the pipe right under
the fatal netting. They must see what it means ; a dog whisking into
view, and then frisking out of sight again the next moment in such an
extraordinary manner, must be examined at once. Such a chance may
never occur again in a lifetime. Besides, it is such impudence on his part,
and if all go together the disturber may be frightened farther away.

So think the ducks, especially as they see the tame Decoys swimming
up the pipe also towards the dog, for they know that the appearance of the
dog means food thrown to them by the Decoyman ; thus they swim up in
expectation of a meal.

The wild ducks pursue the dog with indignant rushes when he is in
view ; when he is out of sight they hesitate, and half turn round to go
back.

But he constantly reappears, and is going farther and farther up along-
side the pipe ; so are the ducks in its ditch, both tame and wild. [See
opposite page.)

But the wild birds have found out he is a very harmless kind of dog

DRIVING THE BIRDS UP THE PIPE. 31

after all, certainly not a fox, so they decide to bother their heads no more
about him. But — all of a moment, and as soon as their attention to and
interest in the dog ceases, they realize that instead of clear sky above them,
there is a netting that appears all round like a cage to their perplexed vision.

No time is to be lost, not a second. They see the open water some
dozen yards or more behind them, from which they were allured by their
curiosity, as well as by their indignation at that foolish little animal hopping
about.

A trap ! a trap ! is the cry ; they instantly face about to return ; a few
seconds only and they are safe. No such luck — for what is this ?

Between them and the entrance to the pond stands an awful form, and
one that stops the way.

Death is to them preferable to passing within a few feet of a visible,
a mortal danger, and one that every bird and beast shrinks from by in-
stinct— " a human being ! "

Yet there is one fortunate chance left, that is to fly up the pipe ; for,
after all, it is but a covered ditch, and to their eyes appears open at its far
end. They, poor things ! cannot see round the deceiving bend to where the
pipe ends in the tunnel net, for aperture or escape there is none.

So within a few minutes of their sitting and swimming in safety out-
side the pipe, the unfortunate ducks are laid out in a row — dead — the
result of a variety of passions, taken a cruel but useful advantage of by
their enemy — man !

How THE DeCOYMAN DRIVES THE BiRDS UP THE PiPE, P.OTH WHEN

DoGciNG AND Feeding.

We have seen how the fowl follow the dog or the food up the pipes.
As also described, the Decoyman suddenly appears, when the birds have
reached a certain distance, and getting between them and the main
pond, frightens them towards and into the tunnel net, wherein they are
captured.

Hoiv the Decoyman reaches his station, that is the head shew, at the
pipe's mouth without being perceived by the ducks he has lured into the
pipe, has yet to be explained.

32 THE BOOK OF DL'CK DECOYS.

I need scarcely say, did the ducks see him move past the openings
between the screens, they would be out of the pipe in an instant. Nor
would all the Decoymen alive ever persuade them into it again that day,
perhaps not for a week, likely enough never.

There are two luethods by which this important feat of driving up the
fowl is managed.

I St. A few feet behind the screens and dog-jumps, and in a line with
them on the same curve, — that being the curve of the pipe — are back screens,
30 feet long.

These back screens consist of three only, and at their ends they also
overlap.

The divisions between them allow a man to pass to their rear easily
and quickly.

These openings are just opposite the spots in the ditch at which, when
the ducks have been lured so far, they are far enough to drive up the pipe.

When the Decoyman has succeeded in enticing them this very neces-
sary distance, he that instant steps backwards between the back screens and
so races unobserved to the shew place at the mouth of the pipe. Just as
he turns to leave the pipe, he throws into it, over the screen in front of
him, his last handful of grain, or urges his dog over the jump and round
its front, according as he happens to be dogging or feeding. If, when the
Decoyman reaches his show place, the lowl are still above him, as of course
they should be, up the pipe they are sure to go, as t/iey think to save their
lives. If the birds are a good way up the pipe the Decoyman need not go
all the wa)- to the head shew place, but can appear behind the fowl at one
of the dog-jumps.

But the Decoyman has to be very quick, for the moment the dog
ceases working round the screens, or the supply of grain stops falling into
the water, the birds very often are liable to beat a retreat by swimming-
down the pipe towards the pond from whence they came.

However, unless really alarmed, they can nearly always be intercepted
in time and with their heads still pointing up the pipe, and consequently
in the right direction for them to take wing.

2nd. The other method is precisely similar in its effect, and differs only
in respect to the way the Decoyman gets behind the birds when in the pipe.
Instead of back screens a concealed path that leads circuitously to the head

DRIVING THE BIRDS UP THE PIPE. 33

show place is formed a few yards in the rear of the screens. Along this
path the Decoyman can run to the head show without his being detected
by the birds he is about to drive up the pipe [see plan facing page 5 7).

As this is the more modern and simplest method, I will adhere to
it in preference to the former one described, though the other arrangement
may be sometimes necessary owing to the nature of the ground.

There is one serious and frequent error made in Decoys by inex-
perienced Decoymen.

That is just not to lure the fowl quite far enough.

The extra yard or two is of the greatest value, and tells a clever
manipulator at once. Such a one will a/ways lure the fowl three or four
yards under the net before attempting to drive them.

If the fowl are brought up the pipe a little short of the necessary
distance, the effect is, that when the Decoyman arrives at the head show
place, they are often almost out of the pipe again. Some of them will
then fly back to the pond, as it appears so close, at any hazard, and so
spread alarm right and left to what have hitherto been unsuspecting fowl.

As already said, the Decoyman endeavours to decoy the birds up the
pipe step by step, inch by inch, inspecting them as they progress, through
his peep-holes in the screens. Sometimes, however, he has to gallop, as it
were, behind the screens to keep forward of the ducks, so furiously will
now and again eager, unsuspicious fowl follow up the food or chase the
dog.

But at most times it is only by vejy judicious management that he
persuades them to follow dog or food up the pipe, and even then they are
always on the point of retiring.

It is just at the moment they hesitate he always uses his best efforts
to make them come but one yard farther, and that one yard may be all he
wants to ensure their capture.

It is a question of a difficult and disputed persuasion from first to last
— a much discussed argument between man and birds.

" Are we safe in coming so far into this cage ? " quoth the ducks.
" You are," says the Decoyman behind the screens ; " so do come a little
farther, I entreat you."

If the Decoyman has an assistant, the latter lies well concealed within
easy reach of the head show place. On the fowl being enticed far enough

F

34 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

under the net, the Decoyman that moment, and without stopping his
manoeuvres, makes a signal by raising- his arm.

His assistant then shows himself instantly, first at the head show place,
and up go the birds, and next as he runs from screen to screen, appearing
over the dog-jumps between each as he does so, thus he finally urges them
on into the tunnel net.

This is the quickest and safest way to act if large takes of fowl are on
hand, or the birds are very shy. Should the Decoyman, however, be
alone, he, as before shown, runs along the concealed path to the head show,
or till he gets well behind the birds in the pipe. He then acts as above
described of his assistant, and as seen in the illustration opposite.

At all times two men are necessary if the Decoy be a large one, as the
assistant's services come in useful in many ways. In a small Decoy, such
as that given facing page 55, any intelligent keeper can work and keep it
in order singlehanded.

35

CHAPTER III.

The Construction of a Decoy.

The Pipes.— ^xv\y the most important belongings to a Decoy, for in
these the actual catching of the ducks takes place, after the latter have in
the first instance been attracted to the main pond outside them. A Decoy
is like an organ, it cannot be played on till the pipes are perfected.

To cut the ditch of a Decoy pipe properly requires careful staking
out beforehand. How to do this is shown in plan facing page 36.

It will be seen by looking at the plans of a Decoy pipe, that the first
hoop, i.e., head of net, is placed 9 yards above the head show place.

That the ditch under the first hoop is 2 i ft. across ; under the hoop
at the first bend the ditch is 16 ft. wide ; under the hoop at the last corner
where the screens stop, i o ft. ; at the extreme end 2 ft.

Let the pipes be large, airy, and light, and without any trees or under-
wood hanging over them.

If they are closed in by foliage they will give the ducks the idea
that they are dark, and so unsafe, cages, and not to be explored at any cost,
whatever be the temptations and inducements put before their eyes.

Nothing will ever persuade ducks to swim freely up into a dim un-
certainty, into an apparent danger, for such a dark pipe appears to their
timid minds.

If they are at times persuaded to enter a dark pipe, they will only go
up it a short distance and always with disappointing hesitation. They
rarely advance in such a pipe far enough to be caught- — by being driven
forward, or, if driven, they will often turn about and fly out, even past ihe
Decoyman.

No, the pipes must be bright and open to the sky, and stand clear of
trees other than shrubs or low brushwood.

From the first elbow of the pipe on its screen side, the adjoining land

36 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

should be clear of growth other than low shrubs, from the second elbow
grass should extend on both sides {see plan facing page 57).

This is very important, as then, when the ducks are frightened up by
the Decoyman at the show place, they do not hesitate to follow on round
the bend of the pipe. That is, if they see plenty of sky before them
instead of a dark wall of trees.

So bear in mind that the delusion of an open space ior the birds
to escape through is immensely assisted by there being plenty of light in
front of, and from the bend of, the pipe, and on beyond its tail. As Decoy-
men say, to drive ducks well the latter must see "out of doors."

When a pipe is spoken of as the " North " or the " East " pipe, it
does not mean that the said pipes point due North or due East.

It certainly implies that they run in those directions, but the true im-
plication is that the north pipe is the one that can be best worked with a
northerly wind, the east pipe with an easterly wind, and so forth.

The Hoops that arch over the ditch should be of round iron. Flat ones
stand a weight of snow better if placed edgeways, but then have a heavy
appearance.

They may be i in. in diameter for the first twelve hoops, then |- up
to the last bend of the pipe, that is for the ne.xt fourteen hoops.

From thence to the tail end f of an inch only.

The hoops are spaced all along the pipe its entire length 5 ft. apart on
its outside curve. On its inside these distances vary a little to suit its
bend.

The head or first hoop can be 1 5 ft. high above the water.

The hoop at the first bend 1 2 ft. high ; and at the second bend, that is
opposite the last screen, 9 ft. The last hoop of all 2 ft.

These three hoops will span from foot to foot respectively: — 27 ft.;
20 ft. ; 13 ft. ; and 2 ft. The round of the first hoop is 46 to 47 ft, and
all the others correspond in outline.

These dimensions are for a full-sized pipe, the cutting of which I have
just described, but a pipe may be a foot or two less in width at the entrance
if the nature of the grround necessitates an alteration in favour of a nar-

To fnjcA-oQ/Mt 36.

<^o.

Plan
shewing how to lar out /ind cut the ditch

'». I,'/ /

'^f/f y / OF A DECOf PIPE

Line ^Bconrvecte shew place and' outside angle of ditctv
at corner, mtersecUng inside cuvglc at elbow 4ft - tlvus
preveJiUru) any birds on/ the pcruL oiUsixLe, from sejeing
what i'S taJdn^ place up the pipe beyond the last screen
Lute CD gives tJie curve front the corner-hoop to the end
ofthenzt-i.e.ZlFt

H H is the. Backwmtj landing 7ftM'ide oittside thchead
of net, 5 to 3 ft inside, cind tapering to nothmtf when opposite

ELB0IV/I6FT {II thelOLSt SCreCTV Or COTTLtr

EEEis the4ft 6 in .hLgh bank (or Screen) which' bojchs the.
Landing.
K the. Breastwalt Landing. (Its tivo screens are notshewn)
FF The steep banks round the, pond that rise slrcaghc
from, the. waters edge, at cdl parts devoid^ of Laruiirvgs,
4 ft 6 ins fucfh

N N N N shew other angles the banks may take if desired,
',1 fj,i^.^>>.^^^^ Pthc smalL covered, stream for keeping the ditch
iE.A00f<*^ \" ' \^ ^\^-N~ clear vrvfrost^wtthO' trap d£>or for dropping

grain through.

From Head, sfu,w to elbow, 84 Feet'.
Elbow to corner, 7Z

■■ Corner to end offucedptpe,
75 Feet.

HEADSHtM,

I
.1

M'.B-When the dztchw^ Uiui vut , the cx/rners canhe
sLtghtly roiuided off
For position of hoop ef ids . See page SJ

Drawn. 'by Author Vincent Hroda.Day & Soi\, li^Ko

HOW TO CUT THE DITCH OF THE DECOY PIPE.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DECOY— THE HOOPS.

17

rower and a shorter pipe. The hoops will in this case be of course
smaller in every way.

The larger hoops can be in three pieces, the smaller in two, and may
be welded together on the ground, or else previously jointed and fitted for
bolts. The last six or eight hoops to be in one length each.

When setting up the hoops first fix the head hoop and the ones at the
first and second bend, and connect them with a string at their summits as
a guide to the height of the intervening ones. Then treat the hoop
opposite the last screen and the tail end hoop in a similar way.

The hoop ends will require sinking I2 in. to iSin. in oak blocks 2 to

Scale ^ IiN. = i ft.

A, Water, c, c, c, KiJgi Tries. D, Bank. E, Path. F, Screen, c

of Net at First Hoop.

Landing. K, Smooth Turf, o, o, Height

3 ft. long by 6 in. square. On the outside curve of the pipe the centre
of these supports may be 2 ft. from the water's edge, on the inside 3 to 4 ft.
distant according as the hoops narrow in their span {see plan facing
page 57). From opposite the last screen they can be as close to the water's
edge as possible on both sides. The top of the arches should be some-
what flat, and the first hoop should lean slightly forward. The hoops are
held steady by three ridge-trees of i| x 1 in. strips of clean sound wood,
running their entire length and firmly lashed, or, what is more permanent,
by means of flat iron bars rounded on the outside, i in. x -^ in. and bolted
to the hoops. {See cut above c, c, c.) The first hoop may require wire
stays and posts to hold it securely.

38 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

From the first hoop to the last the drop, which should be very
regular, is about 4 in. each at their summits, and their span from 6 in. to
8 in. less as they follow along the pipe.

The Netting that covers the hoops should not reach within 4 ft. of
the ground at the entrance of the pipe on either side [sec cut " Entrance
to a Decoy Pipe," page 37). It can be lashed to a stout wire or light iron
rod running along from hoop to hoop.

A little farther up the pipe these gaps may be decreased by the netting
and rod being brought lower down, by 6 inches or so, till they finally slope
down on each side to the ground when level with the last screen, and so
completely close the pipe from thence to its extremity, leaving no opening
whatever for a bird to escape through.

These apertures in the net of the pipe all along the front of the
screens and opposite to them enable the ducks to view the antics of the
dog the more plainly and give the pipe a less confined look, especially at
its entrance.

The birds never attempt to escape through them, however hard pressed.

The net (a diamond mesh) should be of best handspun hemp well
coated with Stockholm tar, -|- in. thick to the first bend of the pipe from
its mouth ; from thence to the tail end of one-third smaller material. If
too thin the ducks, when driven, will try to burst up skyward, instead of
following the length of the pipe as they should do. I do not approve
of wire, though more lasting, as in a strong breeze it sings a tune, and I
have often failed to catch ducks for no other reason.

If a good man)' fowl get into a wire-covered pipe, some will damage
and cut themselves against it badly, besides sending their feathers in all
directions floating down the jDipe, a sight not unremarked on by uncaught
birds. I have even seen the body of a bird killed by wire drift into the pond
and cause great mischief

Wire is also very cumbersome to fix or handle. The mesh of the net
can be 4 inches across, from the entrance of the pipe to the first bend, or
large enough to just not allow a duck through it with folded wings, and
then diminishing to 3 inches till the last screen is reached ; from thence to the
tail end 2 inches, or small enough to prevent a Teal from squeezing through.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DECOY— THE TUNNEL NET.

39

The ditch under the netting with the water in it ends 6 ft. short of
where the fixed pipe terminates, and is sloped up dr)- with sods into the
mouth of the tunnel net.

Then comes the tunnel net (14 feet to 15 feet in length).

It takes on and off easily, so that when it has captive ducks in it, it
can be at once detached and each bird fished out and killed separately and
safely. The head hoop of the tunnel net, it will be seen, slides into upright
posts, with deep cut slots, placed at the end of the fixed pipe. Its hoops,
all of a size (2 feet in diameter), are made of ^-in. iron.

The tunnel net is pegged out straight when in use.

TUNNCL. NET.
Scale 'A in eft to a foot.

-■■ f '■

^"'-^5a^^t^J*i;'-a=^.^--,>;;4^^r;7^

tND Or T'jrtN£.L NET.

V

Vi

JiW^'

FKOKT View Of {NO OF FIUD PIPE.

Ihttul lilies sluir till C'/vctw tiiftirst
I'oep vt'tlie. tiiiuu-l ru-t liraps uitc .

lilid Lit' \Va.ta-

sioe. VIEW.

The netting of a Decoy-pipe is usually in three pieces, viz. : the Screen,
the Elbow, and the Tail Net. The netting when being tarred, can have
some linseed oil added to it to keep it soft and pliable. It will require
tarring every three years.

It is a convenient plan to run a low board three or four inches above
ground on both sides of the pipe from hoop to hoop, and secured to the
latter, from the last screen to the end of the pipe. To this board the net
can be readily and securely hitched, if angle hooks be driven into it at
short intervals. It can then too be easily removed for repairs, or to put
in store during the summer, as should be done, and will not so soon decay
at its edges.

40 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The Pond. — That is the " Decoy Pond " in other words, and on the
tranquil waters of which the wild ducks first alight. They are attracted by
its peaceful seclusion, as well as by the sight and call of the tame ducks
that are always on it for the purpose of allurement.

The pipes the wild ducks know nothing about, till they are enticed
therein, and captured thereby.

A Decoy pond seldom exceeds from two to four acres, the usual size
being from one to two acres.

The best size is i^- acres irrespective of pipes.

The depth 2\ to 3 ft. and shelving to 2 ft. at the edges.

Sometimes Decoys (so called) consist of large lakes of 20 to 30 acres,
such as at Wretham and Fritton, and was the case at Ranworth, Narford,
and a few other places.

The pipes on these large pieces of water at times answer very well,
but such can scarcely be treated of as proper Decoys — rather as Decoy-
pipes attached to lakes.

The pipes in such cases are usually grouped at one end of a large
piece of water, or round a sheltered bay. But these Decoys do not take
anything near the same proportion of fowl to the numbers on the water
that a small Decoy will do. The reason is that the birds so frequently sit
out in the open far beyond the reach of the Decoyman's attractions.

The Water Supply of a Decoy ought to How in and out clear of the
pipes, It should nevertheless, by means of small channels and sluices, be
arranged to wash down the best pipe or pipes at will.

By the best I mean those that catch best, or that fowl frequent the
locality of most, which is after all the same thing.

The north or east pipe, or both, may have the preference of a flow of
water. They are the ones most frequently choked with ice in hard weather,
and in severe frost it must be borne in mind most fowl arrive in a Decoy
if kept more or less free from ice. It is very necessary therefore to keep
these pipes with open water in them at their entrances.

The flow of water need only be led in at the first bend of a

pipe-
Even a small current will serve to carry clown the food much farther

CONSTRUCTION OF A DECOY— LANDINGS AND BANKS. 41

and quicker than is the case in still water, and so set the fowl on the feed
well out into the [jond, and perhaps cause a capture when not otherwise
expected.

A strong flow through a pipe, by means of storage water and a sluice,
that can be kept for emergencies, such as during a hard frost, is invaluable.
It will prevent ice forming at the pipes' mouths.

On and near open water, with hard frost all round, the fowl invariably
crowd and gather, and when this occurs, as it should, near the entrance to a
pipe, the birds are handy to the Decoyman and his enticements. Ducks,
too, will invariably swim more freely against even a slight stream in a pipe,
than if in still water.

A Decoy pond is, if well made, so shaped that whatever part of it
the ducks frequent from time to time, or day to day, they are more or less
within the " embouchure " of a pipe's mouth.

This of course would not be the case if they remained always in the
middle of the pond in open water. But such is not their habit, as they
prefer the banks and sheltered corners.

The Landings and Banks of the Decoy pond require considerable
care in their arrangement. All Decoys require landings, or, as the Decoy-
men term it, " chairs for the ducks to sit down on."

The birds cannot pass all their time swimming, and it may be said
that they frequent the Decoy almost as much for the accommodation of its
landings, on which they plume and sleep, as for the use of its waters to
drink and wash in.

In a Decoy with some half a dozen pipes, the distance from the
entrance of one pipe to that of the next is comparatively short, so that
wherever the fowl happen to rest between the two pipes they are in work-
ing distance of one or the other ; but if there be but three or four pipes,
the edges of the pond will require to be more shut off from the fowl, so as
to oblige them to land only near the pipes.

It will be seen in the plans that the shores of a Decoy are formed so
as to slide or incline towards either one pipe or another. In a Decoy there
should be a steep solidly built bank 4 to 5 feet high at all parts of the
pond and rising abruptly from the water's edge, save where the landings

42 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

are made that flank the pipes' mouths, these resting-places having banks
also at the back of them.* [See plan opposite page 55 )

This steep bank prevents the fowl from resting on any part of the
Decoy edges, save on the landings near the pipes.

If a bank of this height cannot be arranged, then a continuous 4 ft.
reed or wood fence can be placed instead all round the water's edge of the
pond, and behind the landings.

It is very important that the chief places the fowl should be encour-
aged to sit on, be just outside the entrances to the various pipes, and at least
25 yards in length by 7 feet wide on the off-side of the pipe outside the
head hoop {i.e., the back wing landing), and 20 yards in length by
8 feet wide on the screen side of the entrance to the pipe beyond the
head show place, the latter being the breast-wall landing [see plan facing
page 55).

If the fowl bank well, they are sure to have plenty of companions
close by them in the water, or half in and half out of it. So all are then
conveniently placed to serve the Decoyman's ends.

To tempt the fowl to come ashore and rest on these particular landings,
they must be level with the water's edge, nicely turfed, smooth, and evenly
sloped, and larger in space just outside the mouths of the pipes than else-
where, and especially so, as I have just said, on the left-hand side of the
pipe's entrance looking up it.

On the opposite side of the pipe to the screens, it will be seen that
the back wing landing is continued up under the net itself till opposite
the last screen [see plan facing page 57). The reason is that the birds
will often rest thereon, and when so found can be driven up without the
use of the dog or food.

Along the screen side of the pipe no landing is necessary, nor is there
space for such.

All landings must be well sheltered on their landward sides by screens
or banks.

The fowl will select the weather, that is the sheltered, landings to rest

* Wherever the steep bank rises abruptly from the water a reed edge should be planted,
10 ft. broad, and thus it will fringe the bank from the end of one landing to the end of the
next one (xtv plan facing page 55). The bank tops should be planted with [uivet, both to
increase their height, as well as to strengthen them.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DECOY— FENCING. 43

on ; there the wind that protects them is just the one to work the pipe near
which they are sitting so unsuspectingly.

Therefore on no part of the shores of a Decoy pond should there exist
convenient resting-places for the birds except near the entrances to each
pipe, for the obvious reason that the Decoyman wants the fowl to be
within easy reach of any pipe or pipes when they do come ashore to rest.
The best pipes and landings should be placed to face the sun as much as
possible, for the fowl will always choose the warmest spots on which to sit
and dry their plumage, especially the young birds whose feathers are not
yet quite waterproof.

If a Decoy pond or its pipes be dug out of sandy soil, they will
require all round their edges a twisted wattle fence, reaching from the
bed of the pond to the surface of the water to keep the sides from
crumbling in.

To protect the Decoy pond from vermin, foxes, or disturbance gene-
rally, a wire netting of 4 ft. high above ground should be run round its
outside and attached to substantial posts, with here and there a hand-gate,
so that each pipe can be safely approached against the wind.

If a Decoy is in a large wood, this netting can be put inside the wood
and round the Decoy so as just to clear the tails of the pipes.

This protection is very necessary, as foxes play havoc with the tame
Decoy ducks. Rabbits are also a great nuisance, as they burrow in and
destroy the banks, as well as cause uneasiness to the wild ducks by frisking
about and scampering and rattling through the underwood.

If a Decoy is within sight of a road or houses, it will need on that
side of it a 6 ft. high, close paling, and careful planting, to shut it in from
outside view. A ditch can be dug outside any protective paling, which
makes the latter much less negotiable to those who have mischievous or
curious tendencies. If a 6 ft. high park paling, spaced i in. apart and the
lathes pointed, be placed round the Decoy, it will not only keep out all
trespassers, both men and animals, but will form one of the best pheasant
aviaries possible. Evergreen privet is the thickest and quickest growing
shrub to plant about a Decoy, or on the banks, besides being an excellent
shelter for game of all kinds.

44 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The Screens.

As previously shown, these are the shelters that at all times hide the
Decoynian from the ducks. This they do whether he be reconnoitring
them in the first instance, or afterwards enticing them up the pipes with dog
or food.

They should be 6 ft. high. If the Decoynian be over 6 feet tall he
must sacrifice the comfort of an erect figure to the benefit of the Decoy, as
very high screens give too much the idea of a suspicious enclosure to the
pipe they flank.

The first screen, the one that reaches from the show place to the
pipe's mouth, is 28 ft. long, then all the others on towards the tunnel net
may be 1 2 feet. Eleven screens in all without the breast-wall screens.

The latter are iS ft. and 12 ft. in length, and shelter the broad landing
between them and the water's edge. Between these latter is the "Yackoop"
{see plan facing page 57). At the show place, under the screen that pro-
jects over the water, there is just space for the dog to run round, and so
jump back to his master.

All the little screens or dog-jumps, that join the large screen ends,
are 2 ft. 6 in. in height, and 2 ft. 6 in. wide across their openings, save the
one at the head show, which is 3 ft. 6 in. wide.

Each tall screen has a peep-hole in it through the reeds, and this, as
occasion demands, is kept open by a flat and pointed piece of lath-wood,
8 inches in length by an inch wide ; when no view of the ducks is required
to be taken, the wedge of wood is left perpendicularly between the reeds,
and the hole caused by turning it edgeways closes.

On twisting the wedge from side to side, a clear sight of the pipe and
pond can be taken in any direction.

When setting up the screens fi.x their posts and rails first. The posts
nearest to the edge of the water being about 2 ft. 10 in distant from the
bank of the ditch, the farthest posts 5 to 6 ft., the 28 ft. screen being 2 ft.
only from the water its entire length. The distances of some of the 1 2 ft.
screen posts will vary a few inches as the curve of the pipe is followed.
Be sure that each opening between the screens over the dog-jumps, as
you move from the mouth of the pipe towards its tail, points fair and true
up the ditch of water and the network of the pipe.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DECOY— THE SCREENS. 45

The necessity of this arrangement is, that when the Decoyman
appears at his first or head show place in front of the pipe's mouth, though
the ducks start up the pipe, they miglit brealc back past him unless he
stopped them. This he does by running to the next show place, i.e. dog-
jump.

So he goes quickly on from opening to opening till he sees that his
appearance is driving the birds in their wild career towards the tunnel net
at the tail of the pipe, as shown in the illustration facing page 34.

It is obvious, therefore, that unless the openings between the screens
faced straigJd up the pipe, the Decoyman could not properly continue to
show himself behind the fowl in order to drive them up. In fact all that
the fowl in the pipe can see between them and the advancing Decoyman,
are the screens viewed edgeways. The same with the man and the ducks.
The space behind the screens should be carefully cleared of crackling
twigs, or dry leaves, and plenty of sawdust strewn along a path is a sure
safeguard against the noise of footfalls. The screens to be placed on
smooth turf, which latter can extend 6 ft. in their rear.

Each 12 ft. working screen will require four oak stakes 4 in. x 2\ in.,
9 ft. long, and 5 ft. 6 in. above ground, with three cross-bars 2\ in. x i j in.
nailed to them, as shown on next page.

The 28 ft. screen at the pipe's mouth will want eight similar posts and
rails, the longest breast-wall screen six.

The reeds that cover the framework of posts and rails are placed roots
at head and foot and points in the centre, and project 6 in. above the rails.
They are tightly packed so as to lie nice and level.

The screens when in course of construction will each require two men,
so as to pass the tying cord through from one side to the other by means
of a I ft. long, wooden needle.

Three thinner laths, called tying laths, i|- x 2 in. will be also wanted
for each screen, to hold the reed firmly, and between which and the larger
fixed laths the reeds are secured by lashing the laths together through
and through. (^See next page.)

The reeds are pressed side by side from one end of the screen to the
other, so that not a chink of light can be seen between them.

The posts of the screens project on their pipe side. The dog-jumps
have four laths, two to each side, nailed to the posts of the screens they

46

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

connect [sec iull-page illustration facing page 34), and these are lashed just
as are the lathes of the taller screens.

When making the screens the back or thin laths are tied loosely at
first on to the fixed rails, and as the reeds are wedged in between they are
secured by the two sets of rails being lashed tight together at i ft. intervals.

The reeds are placed as level as possible at the top of the screen when

;: i: I:

FRAMEWORK OF A SCREEN.

it is being made, and then tapped down in line with a flat board the size
and shape of a tennis racquet, but larger.

The Decoyman or assistant, if the screens are well arranged in
"echelon," should be able to pass from the tail end of the pipe to its
entrance, or visit any particular screen to take a survey dozvn the pipe

.A

REAR OF A SCREEN, SHOWING TYING
LATHES.

FRONT OF A SCREEN.

without being perceived by any fowl below him in it, or on the pond. He
should also be able to show himself to, and so drive up, any fowl in the
pipe without his action being perceived by other birds on the main pond.
For this reason the screen at the head show i^rojects over the water.* For
arrangement of screens sec zigzag lines, p, p, p, on folding plan facing
page 57-

* The reeds should be cut and stored in March when dead and dry. They are about
6 ft. high, round and feathered, and grow in the fen country in profusion. If reeds cannot be
obtained, straw may be substituted, but it is never so satisfactory.

DECOY DUCKS. 47

The Tame Decoy Ducks. — It is often imagined, by those ignorant of
Decoying, that the tame Decoys act a part, and are aware that they are
used to deceive the wild ducks.

Such is not the case, they are perfectly innocent of the nefarious
uses they are put to by the Decoyman.

They merely obey their own instincts. If their wild brethren follow
them, the latter must look after themselves. It is no affair of the tame ducks.

As they never suffer any harm, the Decoy ducks see nothing wrong
or susi^icious about the Decoy or the pipes.

If the dog appears from behind the screens they swim up to him ;
they know him well, he is an old friend. The reason they follow him is
because, whenever he shows, they know grain is to be found in the pipe,
thrown by the Decoyman from behind his screens. So when they see
the dog they know that food is forthcoming.

In the same way they are ever ready to swim up a pipe for grain
thrown into it at any time, whether they see the dog or not.

They are always hungry during the day, as they are only fed regularly
in the evening when the wild ducks have left the Decoy for the night in
search of food.

The Decoy ducks are taught to paddle surely and steadily up an)-
pipe required, feeding meantime on the grain thrown to them from behind
the screens. They are always fed in the pipe itself, and only get a good
meal in the evening, as I have said. They soon learn to swim up a pipe
fearlessly. During the day they require judicious feeding. For, as before
pointed out, if too hungry they will rush up the pipe after the food, or to
the Decoyman's whistle, with such vehemence as to cause alarm to the wild
birds.

If too well fed they will fail to come at all, or so sluggishly as to be of
no use in decoying their wild brethren.

The low whistle of the Decoyman should bring the Decoy ducks to
obey his wishes from any part of the pond, that is, if he feeds them as
they should be fed.

The tame ducks can number from 20 to 30, and the best are a cross
between wild ducks and small brown farmyard.

Save four or five at most, avoid pure bred call-ducks, white or Iirown ;
they are too noisy.

48 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

They also go through so manj- antics, such as splashing, chasing,
and fighting, thus disturbing the wild ducks, and making them loth to fol-
low birds that appear so bold and careless.

Call-ducks are very useful, however, to keep in a new Decoy the Jirst
year, in order to get a lead of fowl to the pond. Their noisy cries will
bring down birds passing over at a great height, but for actual use in the
pipes they are not successful.

Tame reared wild ducks are also to be strictly excluded from a Decoy.

Their nature is far too cunning.

They will often stand guard over the entrance of a pipe, and though
feeding on the grain as it drifts down, will act as sentries, and not allow
a bird to enter under the net.

They give some low warning note, or make some, I presume, duck-
understood gesture suggestive of danger.

When the wild ducks rise in fright, and are driven up a pipe, the tame
ducks that helped to lead the way are not alarmed, but swim quietly down
the pipe again. As they know the Decoyman well, and as he does them
no harm, they cannot understand why the wild birds should be so alarmed
by his appearance.

The Dog.

A bright intelligent little fellow, about a third smaller than a Fox,
with a curly bushy tail if possible, and of a red or yellow colour.

A good Decoy dog is hard to find, but, when obtained, is invaluable.

He should do his work cheerfully above all things, and be well re-
warded for doing it — at the time.

One wave of the hand or arm is enough, if the dog is properly trained,
to urge him on his career over the jump and round the front of each screen
consecutively, or round any screen that the Decoyman may wish.

Yet he needs do his work steadily all the same — I mean he must
never fail at a critical moment. A turn towards the ducks following
him, or a whimper would spoil all.

Two clogs of different colour may be kept in use, as it often happens,
though the birds, will treat with contempt the one, the other will rouse
them to follow him at once.

THE DECOY DOG. 49

A coloured cloth round the dog will sometimes move them when
nothing else will.

So will a fox's skin strapped round him, with a trailing brush. But a
dog will seldom work well with these additions. He feels he is made a
show of.

I have tried a cat, a ferret, and a rabbit. They all attract, but are
next to impossible to manage.

I once bribed an organ-grinder to lend me his monkey. The fowl
absolutely flew after him when first shown, but when he turned round
and grinned at them they fled. When he sprang atop a screen and
cracked the nuts I had tried to bribe him into acquiescence with, ending
by scampering along the top of the pipe, every bird left the Decoy for
the day. And no wonder.

Finally, the monkey tumbled into the Decoy, and nearly died from
fright and cold, and I narrowly escaped having to replace him.

If a dog is shown very often, the wild ducks will get to know him
too well, especially the old habituds of the Decoy, the latter then taking but
little notice of him. It is always the new-comers who are easiest taken in
by a dog and his tricks ; for to them he is an unusual sight. I know a
friend who in vain tried his ordinary Decoy dogs, but without effect, as the
fowl had become what Decoymen call — stale ;* that is, they knew all about
it, and refused to listen to the voice of the charmer.

As good luck would have it, a lady friend to whom the Decoy was
being shown, had brought her pug with her. The pug was started near
the mouth of the pipe, whilst his mistress signalled to him from near the
tunnel net. By mere chance the dog, untutored in the ways of Decoying,
started gamely over a couple of jumps, and round a screen or two. The
wild ducks tore after him up the pipe at once, and a good catch was the
result. Whether it was the curl of the pug's tail, or a very large black
spot near it, or his quaint, well-fed appearance, can be only conjecture. At
all events, the ducks evinced neither discretion nor hesitation on viewing
him.

• Stale birds are those that have been a long time in a Decoy without being caught, and
have grown cunning and cautious. Fowl fresh from the coast are easiest taken, and can be
distinguished by the "high-water mark" to be seen on their breasts left by the salt water, and
which soon washes off on their arrival in a Decoy.

II

so THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

At Fritton Hall [see Fritton Decoy) there is a portrait of a large
Newfoundland (?) which many years ago was a famous Decoy dog.

The Food.

This must never be spared in a Decoy, and should be strewn about
the landings and in the water near the pijDes overnight. The wild birds
soon spread the good news, and more and more fowl will collect in the
pool in consequence of their being, as Decoymen say, " tethered by the
tooth."

Decoymen profess to specially prepare the grain they use when feed-
ing up the fowl, but it is more the way it is tlironni and 2ised than the
actual food itself.

It is necessary that the first handfuls of food thrown in should be
light and dry, that it may float well, and so attract the attention of the
birds as it drifts along the surface of the water. Some Decoymen use
bruised oats for this reason, when first commencing to feed in a pipe.

Buckwheat is as good as anything to use ; also oats, with some hemp-
seed oil sprinkled on them. Malt grains, or coombs,* flavoured by aniseed,
will sometimes draw fowl up a pipe when they refuse other food.

Hempseed or canary seed is also very attractive to wildfowl as a
change, and especially so to Teal. Decoymen also place great faith In
what is well known in the fens as "Willow-weed." The Essex men prefer
it to any other food, especially for Wigeon, and take no little trouble to
obtain it from Norfolk or Lincoln. This weed is Polygoimin persicaria
(spotted knot-grass). It grows in fenny soil among the corn, and has a
small black triangular-shaped seed, and a black horseshoe patch on its
leaves. Farmers when threshing often save it to feed their poultrj- and
pigeons with.

But Ducks will feed on barley, wheat, or maize, in my experience, as
well as on anything else, and some acorns thrown into and near the
entrance of the pipes overnight is an admirable device, for there is no
stronger attraction to wild duck than acorns.

* " Coombs " are the sprouted germs of the barley which are screened off the malt after
drying, and which, owing to their sweetness, wildfowl are very fond of.

CHAPTER IV.

Some Final and General Directions in the Management ok a Decoy,

AND IN Catching the Ducks.

I WILL first speak of the zvind as being the most important subject
connected with the working of a Decoy.

Never try to work a pipe sti-aight down and out of the entrance of
which, or from the screens to the entrance, or from yourself when walking
behind the screens, to the ducks about its entrance, the wind blows.

If luck is very much in your favour, this rule may at a pinch some-
times be discarded, though always at a risk.

It is never safe to act thus, for a failure is courted if you stand or move
in a Decoy with such keen-scented birds as wild ducks dead to leeward of
you.

This rule applies whether you have or have not a piece of smouldering
turf in use to conceal the smell of the breath or clothes.*

The diagram afterwards given shows the only winds with which to
work a pipe really successfully {see p. 57). The arrows are drawn on the
folding plan of the Decoy pipe to point up wind, and so show the direction
it should blow from to work the pipe.

Outside every Decoy, on a mast, or else on the top of some tall tree
hard by, should be fixed a weathercock, to indicate the trite direction of
the wind at the time it is wished to make a catch.

Remember the ducks when they rise invariably face the wind, and at
all times incline to fly against it when first they are flushed.

Therefore, when you appear at the show place in order to drive the
birds up the pipe, and the wind is blowing from the ducks to you, much

* In the fens of Lincolnshire turf was largely burnt before coal came into use, and it
was supposed the wildfowl, being accustomed to its smell, did not mind it when used by the
Decoynien to hide " their natural odour."

52 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

is in your favour. They start the right way at once, and that is up the
pipe. If the wind blow into a pipe's mouth, the ducks will fly against it
when they first rise, and so often come out of the pipe, unless the ditch
be so low and narrow as to be quite sheltered. Should such be the
case, however, the pipe is a bad one in every way, both for enticing the
birds up it, or for driving them when in it.

Ducks always swim head to wind if they can, as then their feathers do
not ruffle as when they drift with it.

They also rest head to wind when on land for the same reason.

Hence, outside the pipe that the wind blows downwards and partly
across, the birds are more or less facing its entrance. They are then near
at hand to the Decoyman, and so readily perceive the dog when he appears,
or food is thrown into the pipe.

This is the case whether they be the tame Decoys or the wild ducks.

On some occasions, such as in a strong breeze, the fowl will be
seen resting just inside the pipe under its net on the landing opposite the
screens.

Many a good catch is made by finding them there, and suddenly
surprising them up the pipe by appearing behind them at the head show
place.

For this chance aliuays approach and reconnoitre a pipe carefully on
first entering a Decoy, looking through the furthest screen from the pipe's
mouth in the first instance, as then, if any fowl are in the ditch, they can
be driven up by the Decoyman running round to the head show or one
of the dog-jumps, and so getting behind them.

It should be carefully arranged in all Decoys that the wind can blow
unchecked slantingly down the pipes from their offsides, opposite the
screens — I mean the wind that is suitable to each pipe when it is worked.

If a bank of high trees are standing thickly over the screens, the w"ind
recoils from them in a current, and so whirls into the pipe's mouth and
pond. It will then, of course, carry your scent with it to the fowl, and
quite spoil for the time any chance of a catch.

This is a frequent, though often unsuspected, cause of the failure of
what may otherwise be an excellently planned pipe.

When approaching a Decoy, be careful to enter its precincts so as
not to get any fowl dead to leeward of you ; tor this reason four hand-gates

GENERAL DIRECTIONS IN DECOYING. <,%

need to be placed so that it can be entered on every side safely, and
without alarming the fowl, whether they be in a pipe or on the pond. Do
not try to decoy in a flat calm, a little wind is always necessary to success.
It gathers the fowl off the centre of the pond about the sheltered pipes,
and by rustling the herbage conceals footfalls. Besides, as I have said, the
birds never drive well unless more or less heading the wind.

However anxious to make a catch, do not press the fowl too hard with
your allurements — doing so only makes them suspicious. By waiting, a
successful drive may result later in the day.

Eight, twelve, and four o'clock are the best times to try for a catch by
feeding, three o'clock for the use of the dog.

It is not much use trying between ten and eleven o'clock in the day,
as the fowl are by that time becoming sluggish after their night's flighting
in search of food, and after a wash and drink prefer resting on the bank,
or sleeping on the water.

At four o'clock they are beginning to feel hungry, as well as to move
off the banks into the water previous to leaving the Decoy for the night,
and are then more likely to feed up the pipes than at an earlier hour in the
afternoon.

Avoid casting shadows on the water of the pipe between the dog-
jumps when in the act of Decoying. Such will certainly spoil a catch if
the sun is low and behind the Decoyman, as may happen late in the
afternoon.

If fowl are banked on the breast-wall landing and will not take notice
of either dog or food, the former may be sent right among them over the
dog-jump between the screens that flank them, into their midst.

The effect of this is to cause the ducks to scurry off" the landing in
great alarm, though as soon as they get into the water they face about and
swim defiantly towards the dog as he disappears round the corner and
behind the screen again.

They are then all on the alert, and will probably follow the dog under
the net, as he is sent along from one screen to the other as usual up the
side of the pipe.

I have before alluded to the necessity of keeping the mouths and
the water outside the entrances of the pipes clear of ice in a frost, especially

54 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

those pipes which, when the wind sets in during frost, suits as to working
them — namely, the upwind pipes.

The ice need only be cleared a short distance inside the pipe ; as far,
in fact, as the point at which the fowl can be driven up from.

The ice clearing of a Decoy is a most unpleasant duty, but results
usually well repay the trouble. It also requires considerable management
to clear the ice properly. A good deal can be done in thin ice by the use
of a heavy pole and by rocking a boat. In thick the better way is to cut
off large blocks, and then with a grapnel pull them under the solid sheet
as the Decoyman stands on its verge. Several cracks with an axe and a
side wedge or two will split the ice along from point to point.

It is no use clearing the ice early in the night, as it will only freeze
again before the ducks return from their feeding grounds at dawn.

It will have to be done as soon before the fowl arrive in the morning
as possible, say from six to seven o'clock.

A small flat boat, and a long iron-shod pole, needs be always at hand.

The boat can be lifted out of the water and hidden out of sight during
the day, or, what is better, concealed in a boat harbour roofed with planks
and turf

Some extra grain can be thrown to the Decoy ducks (who will be
hungrier than usual) during frost. By doing this judiciously, they will
much assist, by their motions, in keeping the mouth of a favourable pipe
for work clear of gathering ice.

If ice forms very quickly in still corners about the pipe by day, throw
some good handfuls of grain on its surface. Then the weight of tame
ducks, as well very often of the wild, will break it up and force through
it. In a frost, at its commencement, when fowl have sought the rivers
and marshes for fresh water, through being frozen out of their usual
haunts, it is a judicious action, on one or two occasions only, to " rise " a
Decoy (early in the morning) — that is, to frighten the birds away. By so
doing they will presently return and bring many strangers with them.

Killing Birds. — This is a knack, requiring a certain amount of skill,
that has to be learnt by a new Decoyman, and which consists in breaking the
necks of the captured fowl artistically. It is a very necessary operation to
learn, for nothing looks worse than half-strangled fowl fluttering about

l;

To^aupngtSS.

/("^rrf qrtm'ing ui WaUf
DOTTED GREEN f.aritbngs
YELLOW Strvp Batiks 4 ft fnt/h

DOTTED LINES P(lf/l.S i1>lV/\'t/ UltJl luH'

N. B. ir the soil i£ Uyht. the

:'i-roy will re-qujre rottrvd. Us

■ .^ifes. t*. twi-st^' waitlc fentx

vith iht- surface.

vattr in, order to

th* h antes from,

tfi . a.n.ci' crturi'

do-wrv

,. ■U.>>.yV'l.l|l<|.>'ll^aUttl*.V'l'^'''W<tf^'-J*''-'.''iM'/'. ■•>

M-*

^^S^:^/-)|^^v^-

•,\\

PLAN OF A THREE PIPE DECOY.

r

GENERAL DIRECTIONS. 55

the ground. A half-killed bird escaping on to the pond will do great damage
to the Decoy. This accident I have known occur more than once. The
more expeditiously the fowl can be taken out of the tunnel net, and
silenced, the better. The net should be dragged a little distance if many
fowl are in it, so that their flutterings cannot by any possibility reach the
hearing of the uncaught, but ever suspicious, birds on the Decoy pond.

The tunnel net can be held firmly between his knees by the Decoy-
man, as he takes out the captives one by one, kills them, and throws them
on one side. {See page 22.)

But killing deftly is of importance, and can be best learnt from some
practised Decoyman. The bird is pulled out of the tunnel by the neck, the
neck is then twisted into a ring, and kept in that position with the left hand,
whilst the right hand gives the dislocating jerk ; all the work of an instant.

If live birds are wanted, as is often the case, their wings are crossed
at the first joint, one being twisted behind and round the other, till they are
securely put into a basket. They will not run, and have no power of flying,
or even fluttering, when in this position.

I will next shortly criticize the more important of the plans of Decoys
given throughout the book.

Eight-pipe Decoy (facing page 167). This Decoy is far too large, and
has too many pipes for ordinary use. The more pipes, the more expense
and trouble incurred. If fowl frequented a neighbourhood in vast numbers,
as was the case when such fine Decoys existed, then it would be well
adapted to catch extensively. But unless its takes reached an average
total of 5,000 ducks annually, such an elaborate Decoy is quite unneces-
sary. A Decoy with only five pipes would in these days be quite large
enough, even in the best preserved districts for wildfowl, and where they
abound the most.

Six-pipe Decoy (facing page 122) (a seven would not answer or be
symmetrical). This is a well-planned Decoy, it is true, but a five-pipe one
would catch as many fowl.

The chief object of a Decoy is to have its pipes so that they will
suit every wind ; this a five will do as well as a six-pipe one. I may point
out that in an eight- or six-pipe Decoy, two pipes, or even three, may some-
times be worked with the same wind, thus giving, if iowl \\x(\ present in

56 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

great numbers, a much larger bag. But such immense congregations of
fowl are not to be seen in these days anywhere in our islands.

Five-pipe Decoy. This is the Decoy I strongly recommend for any
place where fowl are mimerons. It is a most convenient size, and very
workable. Its pipes will suit every wind that blows. {See plan facing
page 58.)

A Four-pipe Decoy (facing page 1 74). A very good one too, but
I consider a three-pipe Decoy is just as good. Four pipes are not nearly
so good as five if fowl be plentiful, and there is one pipe too many if birds
are scarce.

I am now speaking of making a Decoy where nothing of the kind exists.

If the pool of water is ready to hand, then it may be easier and not
more expensive to put four pipes to it than three, especially if it be a
square pond, with corners adapted for the four pipes ready formed.
The plan facing page 93 is also a good shape for a four-pipe Decoy, and
has proved a very successful one too. It is of course an object to fit pipes
to an existing pool to suit its present shape, and so save expense and labour
as much as possible.

A Three-pipe Decoy (facing page 55). This is a capital plan, and
more generally suitable than any other for a place where fowl are com-
paratively few.

It is inexpensive to make and work.

The pipes will suit almost every wind, quite enough so to catch several
hundred fowl in the season, or several thousand for that matter if they
were very abundant, as in days gone by. I therefore give a large plan of
a three-pipe Decoy, by studying which, as well as the folding plan of a
Decoy pipe on the next page, such a Decoy can easily be constructed.

A Two-pipe or One-pipe Decoy usually consists of a pond or lake
with a pipe or pipes attached to it, and placed at its most favourable
corner or end ; that is, the one oftenest haunted by the birds. In this
case the rest of the pond is little interfered with or remodelled, being
merely kept quiet and secluded.

These plans are taken from some of our best Decoys, and which latter
were made by the cleverest Decoymen who ever lived, and who knew more
about Decoys, their working and construction, than any one before or after
them.

Plan of a decoy proE

PLAN OF A DECOY PIPE. 57

I refer to Old George Skelton and his sons, George, William, and
Richard Skelton.

Finally, I give a large plan of a Decoy-pipe complete in all details. It
is one that may be exactly copied in every respect wherever a pipe is
desired to be made, or to vi^hatever pool it is wished a pipe should be
attached. By studying the previous instructions and dimensions, and by
reference to this plan the Author hopes, and indeed feels assured, that any
one wishing to do so can now, not only construct a Decoy, but succeed in
the art of Decoying as well.

Description of Decoy Pipe (see opposite Plan).

Blue — Water.

Green — Turf.

Brown — Banks, 4 ft. 6 in. high.

Arrows indicate the direction the wind should blow from to work the
pipe ; the centre arrow being the most suitable wind for the purpose.

A. Breastwall landing, 20 yards long, 7 ft. wide at its widest part.

B B B. Backwing landing, commencing at 5 ft. wide at the head hoop
c and gradually narrowing to 2 ft. wide opposite the last screen, where the
bank that shelters its landward side terminates.

Outside the head hoop this landing is continued 25 to 30 yards in
length by 7 ft. wide to where it meets the steep bank round the main
pond (see plan facing page 55).

c. Head hoop, a trifle over 27 ft. from foot to foot, 15 ft. at the crown
above the water, and from 46 to 47 ft. on the round (each hoop drops
about 4 in. in height, till the smallest is reached, the latter being only 2 ft.
high and 2 ft. in width).

D. Head show place. There is just space on the bank for the dog to
run round the foot of the projecting breastwall screen, and so enable him to
spring back again to d after jumping on to the landing a at f. (the yackoop).

F F. The curved path concealed by shrubs (closely planted on raiscxl
earth) by which the Decoyman runs to the head show at d when he has
enticed the fowl under the net, the latter performance having probably
brought him in the rear of the fourth or fifth screen from the head hoop,

I

58 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

and so conveniently near the path. If the Decoyman has led the ducks a
good way under the net, and as far as the fourth or fifth hoop, he does not
then return all the way to d, as it is not necessary. He, instead, turns down
the short centre path (g) and appears behind the birds over the dog-jump
in line with the first hoop. If the Decoyman has an assistant this man
waits at the scat, as from here he can see the Decoyman's signal. A wave
of the arm upwards on the part of the latter and the assistant hastens to d ;
a short downward motion of the Decoyman's hand and he shows instead at
the dog-jump opposite the first hoop, the Decoyman having signalled
thereby that the fowl are some way up the pipe, and that it is not requisite
for his man to go all the way to the head show to drive them.

H H. Approaches to the pipe that lead from the path that surrounds
the Decoy.

p p p. The smooth turf on which the screens {see zigzag lines) are
placed.

For directions in cutting the ditch sec plan facing page 36. For
particulars of hoops, netting and construction, see pages 36, 37, 38, 39, 42,
44. 45. 46.

To far* naar. 68 -

Plan of decoy w^ith 5 Pipes,

Scale- 120 Ft to an Inch.

TOO SO 0 100 200

I 1-1 l_l 1—1 UU I— 1

aOOFext

5iufc_ WaJer
YeRow^ Paths

Ijr.twri by Authui

Vmceiu. Brooks Day & Son. Ktlio

59
A LIST OF DECOYS

In the British Islands hereinafter described, showing the County in which eacli is situated. The
names in italics are those of the Decoys now in use. Counties not named have no Decoys.

BERKSHIRE.
Aldermaston Park.

BUCKINGHAM.

Boar St all.
Winchendon.
Wotton Park.
Claydon House.

CAMBRIDGE.
Leverington.
Chatteris.
Whittlesey.

CORNWALL.

Trengwainton.

DERBY.

Hardxvick Hall.

DORSET.
Abbotshury Castle.
Morden.
Wimbourne.

ESSEX.
Marsh House.
Grange.
Glebeland.
East Hall.
Westwick.
South Hall.
Ramsey Island.
Steeple.
Latchington.
Goldhanger (l).
Goldhaiiger (2).
SoUeys.
Gore.

Skinner's Wick.
Bohun's Hall.
Old Hall.
Old Hall.
Mersea Island.
Lion Point.
Old Mose Hall.
Great Oakley Hall.
Horsey Island.
Dovercourt.

Essex — {continued).
Roydon Hall.
The Old Decoy.
Jacques Hall.
Pond Hall.
Wormingford.
Villa Farm.

GLAMORGAN.
Park Wern.

GLOUCESTER.

Berkeley Castle (2).

HAMPSHIRE.

Bournemouth.
North Stoneham.
New Forest

HEREFORD.
Shobden Park.

HERTF'RDSH'RE.
The Hoo.

HUNTINGDON.
Holme Fen.

KENT.
Grovehurst.
Kemsley.

LANCASTER.
Hale.
Orford Hall.

LINCOLN.
Ashby.
Bourne,

Deeping Fen (5).
Cowbit.
Fleet.
Dowsby.
Aslackby.
Millyard Farm.
Sempringham Fen(3).
South Kyme.
North Kyme.
Tirnberland.
Noct.jn Hall.
Fiiskney (5).
Ilagnaby.

Lincoln — (conld.)
Wainlleet, St. Mary's

(2).

Wrangle (3).
Leake.

Skellingthorpe.
Burton Hall.
South Carlton.
South Kelsey.
Farlsthorpe.
Broughton.
Keadby.
Great Cotes.

MIDDLESEX.
St. James Park.

MONMOUTH.
W^ilcrick.
Nash.

MONTGOMERY.
Lymore Park.

NORFOLK.
Weslifick.
.South Acre.
IVrethani.
Didlington.
Merton.
Dersinghani.
Ilolkham.
Langham.
Wolterton.
Cawston.
Gunton.
Hemstead.
Waxham.
Winterton.
Hemsby.
Woodbastwick.
Ranworth.
Acle.
Mautby.
Besthorpe.
Narford.
Wormegay.
Stow Bardolf.
Hilgay.
Methwold.
Hockwold.

SCOTLAND.

None, past or present.

NORTHAMPTON.
Aldwinckle.
Borough Fen,

NOTTINGHAM.

Haughton.
Park Hall.
Ossington Hall.
WoIIaton House.

OXFORDSHIRE.
Tythrope.

PEMBROKE.
Orielton Park.

SHROPSHIRE.
Oakly Park.
Sundorne Castle.
Aston Hall.

SOMERSET.
Sharpliam Park.
Sha/nvlck.

Kings Sedgemoor (3).
Meare.

Compton Dundon.
Aller.
Godney.
Westbury.
Stoke.
Nyland.

Cheddar Water.
Kenn Moor.

STAFFORD.
Chillington Hall.

SUFFOLK.
Iken.

Chillesford.
OnvellPark.
Nacion C2).
Frit ton (2).
Lakenheath.
Benacre Hall.
Friston.

Suffolk — (con-
tin uea).
Brantham.
Flixton.
Worlingham.
Campsey Ash.

SURREY.
Virginia Water.
Ottershaw Park.
Pyrford.

SUSSEX.
Firle.
Tangmere.
Angmering.
Tortington.
Glynde.
Ratton.
Peasmarsh.

WARWICK.
Packington Hall.
Combe Abbey.

WESTMORLAND.
Lowther Castle.

WILTSHIRE.

Hamp~u'orth Lodg.^.

YORKSHIRE.

Hornby Castle.
Thirkleby Park.
Coatham.
Escrick Park.
Osgodsby Hall.
Meaux.
Watton.
Scorborough.
Holme Fen.
Sunk Island.
Thome.
New Zealand.
Goole (2).

CORK.

Longueville.
Doneraile Court.

DOWN.
Lough Beg.

GALWAY.
Eyre Court.
Clonfert.

KILDARE.

Ballynakill.
Lyons.

KILKENNY.
Desart House.

LOUTH.
Glyde Farm.
Lisrenny.

IRELAND.

LoUTH — [con-
iinued).
Beaulieu.
Rathescar.
Oriel.

LIMERICK.
Partecn.

MEATH.

Lismullen.
Mountainstown.

MONAGHAN.
Mount Louise.

SLIGO.
Markree Castle.

TIPPERARY.

Kilcooley.

TYRONE.
Caledon House.

WICKLOW.
Anamoe.

QUEEN'S CO.
Kellvville.

6o

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

CHAPTER V.

Decoys in the County of Berkshire.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in tise.

None. I Aldermaston Park.

At Aldermaston Park, lo miles WSW. of Reading, the residence of Mr.
Higford Burr, may be seen the remains of an old Decoy long disused.
It has not been worked within the memory of man, but numbers of ducks
still resort there in hard winters, as many as from 200 to 300 being seen at
one time.

Decoys in the County of Buckinghamshire.

This county is more frequented by wildfowl than is generally
supposed. That such was also formerly the case is evinced by the fact of
its having contained several Decoys, one of which, that at Boarstall, is now
flourishing.

The neighbourhood of Thame is still noted for the number of Ducks
and Teal that visit it during hard weather. At Otmoor, 7 miles from
Thame, it is no unusual occurrence to see 1,000 acres of low land flooded,
and I need scarcely say haunted by numbers of wildfowl, a large propor-
tion of which are caught in the neighbouring Decoy of Boarstall. There
are also several large lakes and reservoirs in this county on which a great
many fowl congregate — notably at Shardeloes, Willesden, Stowe, Wotton,
and Halton. On the latter, it has been computed that as many as 3,000
wild waterfowl have been seen on its surface at one time during recent
winters.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 6i

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Boarstall.

Winchendon.

Wotton.

Claydon.

Boarstall Decoy.

This Decoy lies a quarter of a mile north of Boarstall, in Bucks, a
village of 250 inhabitants, and 8 miles NW. of Thame.

The Manor of Boarstall was formerly part of the ancient forest of
Bernwode (disafforested in 1623), and is said "to have its name of one
Nigel, a forester of Bernwode, who, having killed a wild boar in the forest,
had given him by the King, as a reward of his courage, a hyde of
arable land called Deerhyde, on which he built a mansion, and called it

' Borestale ' However this may be, it is said that Boarstall was

given by one of the Williams to Nigel aforesaid, together with the ranger-
ship of the forest of Bernwode, by the livery of a horn, which is still
preserved as a curious piece of honourable antiquity." (Kennett's Par.
Ant. Vol. II. p. 518, Ed. 1815.) The chief object of interest in the
village is the ancient Tower which (according to Lipscombe) Sir John de
Handlo was licensed to fortify and embattle in the year 1312.

This Tower, with the adjoining house, was garrisoned in 1644 for the
king and was strongly fortified ; it stood several sieges.

The Manor was then the property of the Dynham family, and Lady
Dynham resided there in 1650. It passed to Sir John Aubrey, the second
Baronet,///;'^ tixor, and he died there in 1 700.

The Aubreys lived at Boarstall House until Sir John Aubrey, the
sixth Baronet (who died in 1826), pulled it down, leaving the Tower standing,
and went to reside at Dorton House, 3 miles distant.

On the death of Sir Thomas Aubrey, the seventh Baronet, in the
year 1S56, the estates passed to his niece Elizabeth Sophia, the wife of
Charles Spencer Ricketts, Esq., and on her death, in the year 1873, to
Charles Aubrey Ricketts, her son, who thereupon assumed the name of
Aubrey, and is the present owner of the Boarstall, Dorton, and Brill estates,
and proprietor of the Decoy.

There is no record of the age of the Decoy.

Kennett says, " There is observable in this Lordship of Borslall a fine

62 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Decoy for wild ducks, a matter of great ingenuity as well as curiosity."
(Vol. II. p. 518, Ed. 1815.)

Lipscombe, who wrote in the year 1S31, remarks : "Within this lord-
ship is an ancient Decoy pond of about 3 acres for Wild Duck, Teal,
Wigeon, &c., which abound in the contiguous marshes called Otmoor.
The Decoy consists of several narrow channels communicating with a lake
to which the wildfowl resort, and being prompted by a number of tame
ducks (obedient to the signal of their keeper, who invites them with a
small pipe to their food) to follow them into these channels, are prevented
returning by a trap, and their escape being intercepted by nets spread over
the channels, the keeper with his dogs secure the captives, of which great
numbers find a ready market in the neighbouring towns ; and some are
sent to a distance."

The Decoy stands on the second tier of rising ground above and to
the south of the low swampy tract of country, many thousand acres in
extent, called '.' Otmoor," which was formerly part of the forest of
Bernwode.

To the south of the Decoy the land gradually rises, and at a mile distant
are the Brill Hills, the highest point of which (JNIuswell Hill) is 744 feet
above the sea level. The Decoy pond itself consists of about 2\ acres of
water w^ith four pipes (formerly six), standing in the centre of a wood of
1 4 acres. A keeper's lodge adjoins the wood, and the Decoy is regularly
worked ; a dog is used and a few Decoy ducks. The yearly average of
fowl taken is 800, and the best season on record produced over 2,500 head.

The keeper, who has been eighteen years in charge of this Decoy,
says that he has noticed only a few Pintails on the pond since 1879 ("at
that date there were several "), and that he occasionally sees Shovellers.
He reports that a few Divers are generally on the pond in February,
The Decoyman's cottage at Boarstall is within a few paces of one of the
pipes.

At Winchendojt, near Aylesbury, formerly belonging to the Duke oi"
Marlborough, but now the property of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild,
there used to be a trap Decoy, a farm there being still called " The Decoy,"
but it has not been worked within the memory of man.

The following notes of this Decoy have been kindly supplied to me

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

by Mr. Henry Birch of Thame, to whom I am also greatly indebted for
similar notes on the Boarstall Decoy above quoted.

WiNCHENDON DeCOY.

The parish of Over or Upper Winchendon is situated in Bucks,
7 miles west of Aylesbury.

The Manor up to the time of the Dissolution belonged to the
monastery of St. Frideswide. It then passed into the hands of the
Goodwyns, who built a house there, called "Winchenden House," and
subsequently the estate became the property of the Whartons. The
estates of the last marquis were forfeited, and the Winchendon Estate was
purchased by the second Duke of Marlborough, who in 1760 pulled down
the house (save part of one wing, which is now occupied as a farm-house,
and which, together with the walled garden, is called " The Wilderness," a
name which originally belonged to a grove adjoining the ancient mansion).
The wood called " The Decoy " lies in the valley, about one mile from the
site of the house.

The pond in the centre is dry, but is very clearly defined, and covers
about 2 acres of ground, whilst the wood surrounding it measures 5 acres,
and is octagonal. There are three distinct pipes ; the principal one runs
from the south corner, whilst there are others equally well preserved, but
apparently shorter and narrower, to the east and west. Towards the
north there are signs of another channel, but as the ground falls away on
that side it is improbable that it was more than a drain.

The ground rises considerably to the south and east, and the Decoy
was evidently supplied with water from a spring on the hills to the south-
east ; indeed there would be no difficulty in filling it at any time.

The estate was purchased from the Marlborough family in 1872 by
the Rothschilds.

The present tenant, Mr. Cooper, came to the farm thirty years ago
when he was a boy. One of the wooden traps which was made to hold the
Decoy ducks and to entrap the others was then in existence, and was
given him to play with, and was turned by him into a rabbit-hutch. At

64 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

that time the Decoy keeper's house was standing within the wood ; it was
pulled down ten years ago.

John Capel, a man of eighty, a native of and still living in Winchendon,
remembers the Decoy all his life, but never remembers its being worked ;
indeed it appears to have been dry ever since he knew it. He remembers
" the trap," and gave it to Cooper, for whose father he was then working.
John Capel, when a young man lived for some years in the house in the
wood. He states that his father, who was also a native of Winchendon,
remembered the Decoy being worked, and that the ducks went to the
Duke.

The valley in which the wood is situated extends from Winchendon
to Dorton, and Wotton (the seat of the Duke of Buckingham), and is about
3 miles from Boarstall. It is well watered, and in former days no doubt
wildfowl were plentiful.

At IVotioii Park, 7 miles N. of Thame, on the estate of the Duke of
Buckingham and Chandos, are three small Decoys, each with three pipes,
and connected with a lake covering about 56 acres of water, and when in
working order were used to supply the wants of the family, whether at
Wotton or Stowe. They were worked until 1875, when the present Duke
went to India, at which time the pipes being out of order were not repaired.
They are now, as I am informed by his Grace, about to be renewed. The
take was principally in December and January, but in some seasons a few
were caught during the period of the equinoctial gales, and occasionally
some in November.

From 1820 to 1840 the average take annually was about 310, the
largest capture having occurred in 1837, when 381 Ducks, 16 swans, and
2 Wild Geese were taken. From 1830 to 1842 16 Wild Geese were
taken in these pools. Between 1846 and 1873, less wildfowl being required
for the use of the household, the annual take averaged only 86.

Half a dozen Dutch call-ducks and from twelve to twenty domesti-
cated and trained wild ducks were kept as Decoys, and no dogs were used.

At Claydtm Ho7ise, 3 miles WSW. of Winslow, the seat of Sir Harry
Verney, Bart., is the site of an old Decoy, now drained, and nearly as dry
as the surrounding land. No one living can remember the Decoy being

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 65

worked, although one old man in the neighbourhood can recollect its
existence seventy years ago, when some Decoy ducks were kept there, and
a good many wild ones used to frequent the pool in winter.

The Decoy had four pipes, and was a square pond with a small rivulet
running through it.

Decoys in the County of Cambridge.

This county, like its neighbour Huntingdonshire, possessed in its
northern part a large area of fenlands, consisting of 200,000 acres, or
nearly half of the Great Bedford Level.

The principal Fens were Morris Fen, St. Giles Fen, and Thoi-ney
Fen, north of the River Nen ; Laddns Fen, Cranmore Fen, White Fen,
Wimblinzton Fen, Block Fen, and Sntton Fen, south of the River Nen, and
between it and the Bedford River or Cut. South of the latter were Dowfi-
ham, Ashzvell, Middle, Blunt, North, and Sedge Fens,■^^\ of which lay round
the town of Ely, and adjacent to the rivers Ouse and Cam.

Though Cambridgeshire contained no meres like Norfolk or Hunt-
ingdon, still it was and is a network of water channels, that cover its
surface from Cambridge and Newmarket to Peterborough and Wisbeach, —
and, like other counties containing parts of the Great Bedford Level, it was
frequented by hosts of Avildfowl in days gone by.

It was not, however, a favourable county for Decoys in its Fen dis-
tricts, for, like Huntingdon, these were liable to frequent floods, and were
destitute of trees and underwood.

Cambridc.eshire.
Decoys in nse. Decoys not in use.

None. Leverington.

Chatteris.
Whittlesey.

Leverinctox Decov.
Two miles NW. of \\'isbeach. A map of 1 760 shows a Decoy as then
existing in the parish of Leverington. There is still a farm that goes by

66 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

the name of the " Decoy Farm." The site of the Decoy itself has been
ploughed up, though its general outline may still be traced. In one of the
rooms of the Decoy farm house there are several jDanels that were moved
from the old Decoy house when it was pulled down. These are very
interesting, as they indicate the shape of and the method of working the
Decoy. The father of the present tenant of the Decoy Farm, who was
born in 1772, knew the last man who worked the Decoy, so that it has
probably not been in use for 100 years. The last owner of this old
Decoy was a Mr. Nares, and he is reported to have been so successful, as
to have purchased a farm out of the profits of working it.

The present owner of .the land is the Rev. F. Jackson, of Parson
Drove X'^icarage, Wisbeach.

Chatteris Decoy.

Four miles SE. of Chatteris and 3^ miles NE. of Somersham in
North Fen.

Watson, in his History of Wisbeach, as also Wells in his History
of the Fens, mentions a Decoy here of which no trace now remain.s. The
land, however, is still called " Decoy Ground," and on an old parish map I
find it alluded to as follows : —

" Site of Decoy erected by Colonel Valentine Warton destroyed by
the populace at the restoration."

Whittlesey Decoy.

One-and-a-half miles NE. of the village of Whittlesey and long
disused.

The Bedford Level.

As this county contains so large a proportion of the celebrated
" Bedford Level," it may be as well to give here a brief description of a
district so unique, as also of the process by which it has been gradually
converted from a watery waste to its present state of fertility.

A glance at the map shows the great " level " of the Fens comprised
an area of 1,306 square miles, and formed part of the counties of Lincoln,
Northampton, Huntini^don, Cambridge, Suffolk, and Norfolk, and e.xtended

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 67

in an almost unbroken surface from the shores of the Wash to the high
lands which form its extreme borders. A difference of a few feet in the
level of this vast extent of country would cause the waters of the ocean
once more to cover the whole tract. That this extensive "level" in
bygone ages formed jDart of the bed of the Wash, from which it was
raised by a gradual process of silting, its geological structure plainly shows,
and the same process is still adding largely to the dry land along the
sea-shore. But that this process has been frequently interrupted the
presence of buried forests imbedded in the peat also clearly shows.

All this, of course, was prehistoric, but we can easily imagine that
before any attempt at artificial drainage altered the face of the country, the
whole plain would present the appearance of one great sedge-covered tract,
intersected with sheets of open water, vastly more extensive in winter, and
studded here and there with drier spots or hills, densely covered with
thickets of alder and willow, with perhaps occasional sjjots, more elevated
still, bearing a growth of timber trees.

In addition to the influx of water from the sea, this low-lying tract
was subject to constant flooding from the up-country which surrounded it,
and probably one of the first difficulties experienced in attempting any
system of drainage was, as now, the solution of the problem how to dispose
of these inland waters. The first attempts at drainage attributed to the
Romans appear to have been restricted. to shutting out the waters of the
ocean by means of sea-walls, but it must soon have been discovered that
much more than this was required, and attention was doubtless directed
to restraining the rivers within due bounds, and here the dead level of
the country would form the chief obstacle. However, gradual success
at length rewarded unceasing labour, and although the Isle of Ely was
still a veritable island that could only be reached by boats or over the ice
in winter, and much of the country could only be travelled on stilts,
some progress was made. From the early records of the efforts made to
reclaim portions of the Fens some curious glimpses of the country and its
inhabitants in Saxon times are afforded, and later, the records of disasters,
and the remedies applied, show the fragmentary nature of the attempts
to conquer the too abundant waters.

At length works on a large scale for the better drainage of this immense
extent of waste were undertaken by Morton Bishop of Ely, in the reign of

68 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Henry VII. Next a General Drainage Act was passed by the advice of
Lord Burleigh in 1601, but it was not carried out till the reign of James I.,
who, in 1621, brought over the famous engineer Vermuyden from Holland
to assist in the matter. After completing several extensive drainage works
in North Lincolnshire, at the Isle of Axholme, and close by in Yorkshire,
at Hatfield Chase, near which place he died in poverty, Vermuyden under-
took to drain the Great Level in 1629, on consideration of his being granted
95,000 acres of the reclaimed land. He was at first hindered in his contract
by the popular prejudice, at that time existing, against a foreigner ; but
eventually, being aided by the Earl of Bedford, from whom the Level
derives its name, and who, died in 1641, Vermuyden at length declared his
great work completed in 1638.

However, in 1639 the whole proceedings of the engineers and projectors
of the recent drainage were annulled, the drainage was declared defective,
and the land promised as compensation for the trouble and expense of the
undertaking to Vermuyden and his associates, the Earl of Bedford and
Bolingbroke, was forfeited before it was enjoyed.

Charles I. now proposed to undertake the whole concern, and a new
commission was formed.

But in consequence of national troubles no attempt was made to carry
out the works, and meanwhile the former ones went rapidly to decay,
and so remained till 1649, when a new Act was passed and the whole
management of the affair was committed to the care of William Earl of
Bedford, the son of Francis, who, with Vermuyden, was the original under-
taker of the scheme, and the entire work was considered as finished in
1652. Since which date the various levels, or parts of the Great Level,
have been improved and drained still more effectually. Rennie being
employed in 1807, Telford in 1822, and Mr. Hawkshaw in 1862.

Previous to 1807 much of the pristine wildness of this tract was
existant, especially in Lincolnshire.

The country the Great Level was formed of being so flat and the
rivers consequently so sluggish, these latter were often unable to carry
off the floods even after the Level was supposed to be drained ; hence it
was frequently flooded till comparatively recent times (1807). Numerous
broad tracts of many square miles of water and marsh were, previous to
that date, to be seen in the counties that form the Great Level, diversified

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 6g

here and there with a Uttle patch of corn or pasture, but for the most part
consisting of wild and well-nigh pathless morass.

The original drainage scheme that was completed in 1652 by William
Earl of Bedford must not be imagined to have caused the formation of
firm ground, such as is now to be seen in the Fens. The cuts, dykes,
banks and sluices and other contrivances then made may be said merely to
have turned what was in winter an inland sea into a vast marsh, in the
hollows of which such meres as Whittlesey and Ramsey were formed by
the surplus waters that could not reach the sea.

The Fens, especially those of East Lincoln, were not finally drained
or really cultivated until the close of the last century : and up to as late as
1822 immense extents of wild Fen and marsh still existed here and there
all over the Bedford Level. Whittlesey and Ramsey meres and their
immediate Fens not being drained till thirty years later.

And still the old Fens, of which the Great Level is formed, require
careful supervision. For as they are dried, improved, and drained, so they
gradually fall below the level of the sea and rivers, and the destruction of a
sea-wall by a high tide and onshore gale, or the flooding of a river, are
liable to lay (as occurred in 1862) many thousand acres under water in the
course of a few hours.

There are even now engineers who look upon it as no impossibility,
by an unlucky combination of wind and tide, for the " Great Bedford
Level" to be again flooded as of yore, and who point to similar catas-
trophes in Holland as a warning for watchfulness.

In these days the so-called Fens are but great flats of level grain fields
or meadows, divided by ditches instead of by walls or hedges. They are
intersected by numerous perfectly straight canals that run like silver threads
into distant space, and into these the ditches and minor drains are led.

It is probable that all the eastern county Decoys were constructed
after the first great drainage of the Fens was completed in 1652, when it
was seen what numberless wildfowl, as was but natural, resorted from all
parts to the marshes and ooze left by the out-driven floods.

Previous to this the ducks were habitually driven into nets, as previously
described. A practice continued till much later times on such meres as
were formed here and there by the receding waters.

The Bedford Level, consisting of 400,000 acres, is divided into the

■JO THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Middle, South, and North Level. The greater part of the Middle Level
and much of the South Level are in Cambridgeshire, including the whole
of the Isle of Ely.

Decoys in the County of Cornwall.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Trengwainton.

At Trengioainton , in the parish of Madron, near Penzance, now the
seat of Mr. T. S. Bolitho, may be seen the remains of an old Decoy which
was constructed by Sir Rose Price, the former owner of the estate, about
1819-20. Although large numbers of wildfowl at that date frequented
the valley, and a good man)' used to be shot at three different pools, the
attempt to decoy them was not successful, and the Decoy was abandoned
before Sir Rose Price's death in 1835.

This was not a properly constructed Decoy, or else it would have
succeeded well, considering the favourable position in which it was placed.

It was intended for a trap Decoy, and had no Decoy pipes as usually
made.

The pond was 60 yards square. At each corner was a small, short
pipe leading to a net-covered enclosure of a few feet square. The entrances
to the pipes had falling nets to shut the fowl inside the enclosures — should
they enter them. In each enclosure was placed a sunken slab of stone
on which grain was placed to attract the fowl from out of the pond.

Decoys in the County of Derby.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in zise.

Hardwick Hall. | None.

Hardzvick Hall, the seat of Lord Hartington, 5 miles SE. of Chester
field, near North Wingfield.

A very perfect trap Decoy exists here, similar to those in use at
Haughton, Ossington Hall, and Park Hall, in Nottinghamshire. There
are two trap doors, one at each end of the cage, and this is necessary on

frifrtcA ncuje. 7/

Drawn by AutKor.

Vincei^t Broolw Day 8e Soiv. lilKo

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 71

account of the ducks changing their position according to the wind.
Either end can then be worked by means of two wires with separate wind-
lasses from one " sight-house," as the cage being of wire netting the ducks
can be easily seen through the partition in its centre.

The Decoy birds are always fed inside the cages, and plenty of food
is strewn therein at all times to tempt the wild birds to enter.

Both trap doors are left up, and as soon as the Decoyman observes
any wild birds in either partition, he slowly, and inch by inch, lowers the
door that closes it, and so entraps the birds therein.

He leaves them undisturbed on the chance of making another catch
in the other partition, and does not take the captives out till after
" flighting " time. {Sec plans opposite and on next page.)

Decoys in the County of Dorset.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Abbotsbury.

Morden.
Wimbourne.

At Abbotsbnry Castle, the residence of the Earl of Ilchester, 8 miles
SW. of Dorchester, at the head of the Fleet estuary, between St. Catherine's
Chapel and the seashore, is an ancient Decoy with four pipes. The date
of its construction is not known to the owner, but it is on land that formerly
belonged to the Abbots of the Monastery of St. Peter, and is, therefore,
said to have existed before the dissolution. Great numbers of wildfowl —
Duck, Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Pochard, and Golden-eye — visit it, but
in consequence of there being a good deal of open water outside the Decoy,
and shooting carried on during the season, no very large captures are made.
About ten or twelve at a time, and a couple of hundred in the course of
the winter, is the average take. Close to this Decoy in the West Fleet
is the well-known Swannery, consisting of several hundred birds.

In Hutchins' " History of Dorset," allusion is made to the Decoy and
swannery at Abbotsbury as follows (Vol. II. p. 273, 3rd edition) : —

" About a quarter mile SW. from Abbotsbury is a large Decoy, where
great plenty of Wildfowl resort and are taken.

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Sight house
in hanA- opposite trttp
50 to 60 yards distant

1k£f>fwl»

BANK

NB. The Tutti/i,y of the CacfC IS supported by hoops and (enqitudinal reds as in an ordwarif De^i/ Pipe

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

n

" South of the village is a noble swannery. . . .

"It is the head of the Fleet Estuary, a long lagoon running 8 miles
up behind the Chesel Beach from Portland mouth to Reeds End boat-house
on the beach near Abbotsbury. . . .

"In the open or broad part of the Fleet are kept 600 or 700 Swans,

MORDEN DECOY.

Sixe cf Pbol It ticrcs.

formerly 1,500. The Royalty anciently belonged to tlie Abbot, since to
the family of Strangways, now to the Earl of Ilchester."

The revisers of the 3rd edition remark that at that date (1867) there
existed 700 Swans on the Fleet. A great many still frequent this water.

Morden, 6 miles N. of Wareham, on the property of Miss Drax of
Charborough Park. There used to be a Decoy here until 1856, when it
ceased to be worked, and since then the shooting around it having been

L

74 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

let, the place has been too much disturbed to admit of the Decoy being
successfully carried on.

The Morden Decoy was a famous one in its day, being admirably
placed to attract wildfowl from the Poole Harbour Estuary, a large extent
of water and ooze, with numerous creeks, nearly 6 miles square.

The Rev. T. Pearce, well known as a sporting writer under the name
of " Idstone," and who formerly rented this Decoy, tells the Author it has
cleared as much as ^300 in a season, which would represent fully 7,000 to
8,000 fowl, taking expenses, and birds such as Teal and Wigeon, into
account.

The Decoy is situated in a swampy valley, surrounded by heath.
The enclosure is 4 acres, with an open pond of if acres. It has five
pipes, as shown on plan, somewhat curiously planned. The Decoy en-
closure is planted with bog myrtle, alder and willow, with some oak and
birch.

This Decoy could easily be put in working order again, and, from its
position near the coast, should still do well. Charborough Park, near which
this Decoy is situated, has always been held famous for the wild beauty
of its surroundings, as well as for the number and variety of the game and
Wildfowl that frequented it and its vicinity, equalling if not even surpassing
Lord Malmesbury's estate at Heron Court, so famous in this respect.

]]^i7iibourne. — A Decoy was commenced near here by the late Mr.
Coventry, of the Knoll. Wimbourne, but it was never completed.

75

HISTORY OF D'ECOYS- {con fwiied.)

CHAPTER VI.

Decoys in the County of Essex.

Though this county never possessed any fens or meres, like Norfolk,
Suffolk, Lincoln, Cambridge, Huntingdon or Northampton, still, owing
to its extensive sea-coast and numerous tidal estuaries, it contains many
disused Decoys. Essex, indeed, rivals Lincoln and Norfolk in this respect.
As may be expected, the Essex Decoys were chiefly placed near the banks
of the great estuary of the River Blackwater.

This sheet of water is some dozen miles in length and two miles in
width, — with its shores, and outside its mouth, flanked for miles at low
water with fine feeding-grounds, in the shape of beds of ooze to attract
and support wildfowl. Round the estuary of the Blackwater at least
fourteen or more flourishing Decoys existed. To the north of the
Blackwater, the Hamford Water estuary, with its multitudinous creeks,
small islands, and channels had, as might be expected, attendant
Decoys. Still further north, on the border of the county, and dividing it
from Suffolk, is the estuary of the Stour, with also some Decoys on its
banks, a sheet of water but one-third less in size than that of the Black-
water. In the southern part of Essex, between the Blackwater and the
mouth of the Thames, the estuary of the River Crouch, with its many
arms and backwaters, afforded protection and food to the wildfowl that
frequented the coast of Essex and its mud-flats. The fowl taken in
the Essex Decoys were, and indeed are, chiefly Wigeon, as they are
lured to their capture from the sea-coast, — whereon these birds always
predominate among the Duck tribe. For this reason there are no Decoys
in Essex distant from the sea, as is the case in several of our other
eastern counties wherein large meres and fens existed to attract wildfowl,
and in which Duck, Mallard, and Teal were abundant, and therefore
usually taken in the Decoys.

1^

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Decoys in use.

Marsh House.
Gransfe.

Glebeland Decoy.
East Hall.
West Wick.
South Hall.
Ramsey Island.
Steeple.
Latchington.
Goldhanger (i).
Goldhanger (2).
Solleys.
Gore.

Skinner's Wick.
Bohun's Hall.

Old Hall.

Decoys out of use.

Old Hall (Teal Pond).
Mersea Island.
Lion Point.
Old Mose Hall.
Great Oakley Hall.
Horsey Island.
Dovercourt.
Roydon Hall.
The Old Decoy.
Jacques Hall.
Pond Hall.
Wormingford.
Villa Farm.

The Marsh House Decoy is in Bradwell Marsh, south of the
Blackwater. This Decoy is situated on property belonging to the Dean
and Chapter of St. Paul's, and is in the occupation of Mr. Robert Page of
Bradwell. The pool is rather more than an acre in extent, and, like that in
the adjoining marsh at Tillingham, has six pipes, and both pools closely
resemble the Friskney Decoy (page 122). In a map of Essex of 1825,
prepared from a survey made in 1S24, three Decoys are shown on the coast
south of the Blackwater. The northernmost of the three, known as the
Glebeland Decoy, Bradwell-juxta-Mare, has been disused for more than
sixty years ; the southernmost is that still worked in Tillingham Marsh by
Mr. C. Pasfe, and the centre one is that now under consideration. It lies
f of a mile due west from the coast, and if miles E. of Tillingham, and
at a distance looks like a clump of trees upon the marsh. It is not a large
pool, but is very secluded and well concealed by reeds and brushwood. It
has six pipes, the hoops of which are of wood.

At times a good many Wigeon are taken here, although in some
years these birds almost entirely desert this Decoy in favour of that

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 7;

at Tillingham in the adjoining marsh. Mr. Page states that Pochards
used often to come to his Decoy, but are not Hked, as they are very
troublesome to catch, diving back in the pipe, and even flying past the
Decoyman on his showing himself, instead of going into the tunnel net
like other fowl. He prefers to keep them away.

One morning, when there were a great many Pochards in the Decoy,
he had a "battue," and shot more than 70. Before the end of the week
he had killed over 200 of these ducks. After this, as might be expected,
they did not come so often. Mr. Page states that of every 100 Wigeon
taken in his Decoy, 30 are caught in January, 20 in December, 19 in
February, 19 in November, 7 in October, 4 in March, and 1 in Septem-
ber, this being the average of ten seasons. During the same time he
had the greatest number in the Decoy in January, the next most
productive months being February, December, November, October,
March and September, in the order named. In one year he had four
Wigeon in the Decoy in August ; in other seasons none have arrived until
October.

This is one of the oldest Decoys now e.xisting in the county of
Essex, the land on which it stands having been reclaimed some 200
years ago, at which time the Decoy was doubtless constructed.

Mr. R. Page became tenant of the Decoy in 1865, since which time
he has regularly worked it. The average yearly catch from 1859-60 to
1864-5 '^^s about 3,500; since that date, when Mr. R. Page became the
tenant, it has been 2,500 fowl a year, and within the last few seasons the
take has fallen to as low as 2,000 a year, so that the Decoy does not now
do more than pay its expenses. The large majority of birds taken by
Mr. Page are Wigeon.

Some of the previous owners of the Decoy to Mr R. Page, who, as
above stated, commenced his tenancy in 1S65, were —

1822. Mr. Hudson.
1837-51. Mr. John Willes.
1851-65. Mr. Cracknell.

Mr. Hudson's son, Mr. G. J. Hudson, tells me that his father once made
^400 in a year by selling the fowl he caught in this Decoy, which, taking

78 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

into consideration deductions for Decoyman and half-birds, would represent
fully 10,000 fowl.

T/ie Grange Decoy, in TiUhigham Marsh, south of the Blackwater,
on land belonging to the Rev. H. Jones, and now in the occupation of
Mr. Charles Page of Grange Farm, Dengie, is 2 miles SE. of Tillingham,
and I of a mile from the sea-shore. The pool is rather more than an
acre in extent, and has six pipes. The average take is from 1,500 to
2,000 fowl, chiefly Wigeon. This Decoy, like its neighbour at " Marsh
House," is situated on the flats, near the coast ; these flats consist of broad
reclaimed meadows, intersected by ditches, and protected from inroads
of the tide by a sea-wall, and extend from near the mouth of the Blackwater
estuary to that of the Crouch. The present tenant of the Decoy has held
it for thirty years, and is a brother of the lessee of the Marsh House Decoy.
Both this Decoy and the adjoining one at Marsh House change about
very curiously in regard to the way in which the Wigeon frequent them.
For several seasons the one pool will keep the lead of Wigeon, and then
the other has its turn. Or these birds will desert one pool for the other for
no apparent reason.

The only other Decoy in use in Essex is the " Old Hall," which, as it
is on the north bank of the Blackwater, is described later on, at page 86.

Glebeland Decoy, S. of the Blackwater, \\ miles SSE. of Bradgate-
juxta-Mare, has been disused for more than sixty years. Its position is
not far from the Marsh House, and in the same parish, — but a mile further
north, near Sandbeach outfall, and f of a mile from the sea.

It is to this Decoy that Daniel refers in his ' Rural Sports ' (vol. iii.
p. 266), where he states that " in 1799, 10,000 head of Wigeon, Teal, and
W'ild Duck were caught in a Decoy of the Rev. Bate Dudley's, in Essex."
An old Rate Book in the Vestry at Tillingham gives the names of succes-
sive owners of the Decoy, as follows : —

1795. Mr. Mascall.

1797. The Rev. H. B. Dudley.

1805. Mr. Alston.

181 1. Mr. Kebbell.

18 1 5. Mr. R. Willes,—

The last tenant before it was given up in 1822.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 79

Eas/ Hall Decoy and West Wick Decoy, south of the Blackwater, near
Bradwell, have been disused for many years, but have been worked in
present mcmor)'.

They were both in the parish of Bradwell-juxta-Mare, not far from
the Decoy at Marsh House. Mr. R. Page, who works the latter, informs
me that their positions are still to be discerned. The former was placed f
of a mile NW. of Bradwell, and the latter the same distance NNE.

South Hall Decoy, S. of the Blackwater, in the parish of Paglesham,
and \ a mile from South Hall, is in the occupation of Mr. James Wiseman.
It has been disused for 100 years ; it is now cared for, though not worked,
but there is some chance of the Decoy being put into repair by its owner.
It is placed on the N. bank of an arm of the River Roach, and is a mile
SW. of Paglesham.

Mr. Wiseman informs me that the Decoy has the remains of
six pipes running ESE., SE., S., SW., NW., and N., and is an acre in
extent.

Ramsey Island, on the south shore of the Blackwater River. In an
old map of Essex, published in 1772, a Decoy marked "Old Decoy" is
placed just south of the channel which forms the southern boundary of
Ramsey Island, in the parish of .St. Lawrence, and close to a farm called
" Stansgate Wick."

No notes or any traces of this Decoy are now obtainable.

Steeple Decoy, in Canney Marsh, on the south side of the Blackwater,
and close to the river, on the E. bank of Steeple Creek, half-way between
Steeple Church and the River Blackwater.

In connection with this Decoy I append some most interesting details
written by my friend Mr. J. E. Harting. They are so valuable that they
could not possibly be omitted from a work on Decoys.

" Steeple Decoy, in Canney Marsh. — Tradition only points to the place
where, in what is to this day known as the Decoy Marsh, one hundred
and sixty years ago, a profitable business was carried on in the capture
of wildfowl, chiefly Wigeon, for the London market. Fortunately, how-
ever, for those who, at the present day, take an interest in such matters,
the Essex yeoman who constructed this Decoy, being a business-like man,
took the trouble to write down the cost of its construction, and for thirteen
years kept a strict account of the numbers of wildfowl captured by him

8o

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

and of the prices which they reahzed. This curious MS., which is con-
tained in a small folio volume bound in vellum, was written between the
years 1713 and 1727, and by the favour of the present owner, Mr. Robert
Smith, of Maldon, can now be criticized. The Decoy was originally con-
structed in 1 713, but in 1721 the owner, evidently finding it to be a source
of considerable profit, went to some expense in enlarging it ; and it would
appear that when the pond was dug out, it was at first filled by pumping
from Steeple Creek, but was subsequently supplied from a well which was
sunk at what now-a-days appears an insignificant outlay, ^10, but which
probably represents about ,^50 of our money.

As affording a good illustration of the prices paid for materials and
labour in the days of Queen Anne, the first page of this MS. is not with-
out interest, and I here transcribe it verbatim et literatim : —

An Acct. of the Charge of Makeing the Duckoy Pond uppon
Canney Marsh by me John Cooch 171 3.

Bot. 25 of rope yarn
Bot. reed and broom
Bot. one barrl. of tarr
Bot. netts and twine
Bot. piles
Bot. 1660 poles
Pd. for diggin the pond and the four pipes
Pd. for 120 rod of ditching about ye pond
Pd. Thayers for a pump and filling the pond
Pd. Thomas Peach, duckoyman at Tillingham, for his
ment and trouble in setting out the pond

Tottall ,

An Acct. of the Charge of Makeing the Duckoy Pond uppon
Canney Marsh Larger by me Wh.i.iam Cooch 1721.

£ s. d.

Pd. for removing pt. of a bank and diging ye new pt of

yepd

Pd. for makeing 3 new pipes

Pd. for 600 of poles

Pd. for 300 of piles

Pd. for tar

£

s.

d.

2

0

0

8

16

0

I

5

0

7

3

6

12

19

4

14

9

0

64

19

0

23

5

0

IS

I

0

judge-

26

13

6

. £

176

1 1

4

Carried forward

97

0

0

4

12

0

4

IS

0

4

0

0

I

5

0

£^

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

Brought forward

Pd. for netts ...

Pd. for zoo bolts of reed and carridge
Pd. for rope yearn ...

Pd. for makeing ye well and arch, and new pump,
for ye mill

1 72 1 Totall

J 7 13 Totall ...

In all

£
1 1 1

4
2
I

.s.
I 2

16

o

d.

o
o
o
o

and materials

10

0

0

£^^0

3

0

176

II

4

£i°(' 14 4

The Decoy was completed and ready for use by September, 1714 ; and
on the 3rd of that month the result of the first day's take by " Jos. Wood-
wards Duckoyman" is set down as, duck 8, teal 4, and " wiggin" 54 — in all
66 birds. The Decoy season the first year lasted from September to
January inclusive, during which period there were captured 675 ducks, 338
teal, 46 " pyntail," and 6,286 "wiggin" — in all 7,345 birds in the follow-
ing proportions : —

Ducks.

Teal.

Pymail.

Wiggin

September

39 ••

81

9

39°7

October

26 ..

10

I

1899

November

'8s ..

92

3

244

December

219

• 103

• '3

153

January

206

• 52

20

83

675

338

46

6286

Then follows the entry, "Sold to Mr. Neptune this years whild fowll
at 9s 6d per doz " — ^150. From this, however, it would seem that only
317 dozen, or 3,804 birds were sold, leaving 296 dozen, or 3,552 birds, to
be accounted for. Had the owner sold all the birds taken at 9s. 6d. per
dozen, he might have paid the cost of constructing the Decoy out of the
first year's proceeds, and had a balance in hand of ^115. This shows
what a profitable source of income in those days a Decoy was when pro-
perly managed. At the present day probably (could the same number of
fowl be captured), the money value would be five times greater.

On glancing at the table last given, several points of interest are sug-
gested. In the first place, it appears that, as now, by far the larger number of
fowl taken in Essex at that date were Wigeon. In the next place, it seems
that the great body of these birds arrived in autumn before the cold
weather had set in, and that after November comparatively few were

82 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

taken. The Ducks and Teal, on the other hand, did not appear in force
until mid-winter ; while " Pyntails " were always scarce and irregular in
their appearance. These conclusions are not based merely on the returns
for the first year, 1714, but are borne out by the returns for subsequent
years. In 1716 the price paid for wildfowl thus captured rose to los., and
the following year to los. 6d. per dozen, the purchaser being " Jno. Deal."
In 1718 Joseph Woodwards ceased to be " Duckoyman," and in his stead
one " Ben Carter " was employed, but either he was not so skilful as his
predecessor, or wildfowl were never afterwards so plentiful. He never
succeeded in taking more than 4,500 Wigeon in a season (this was in 1722),
while Woodwards never took less than 5,200 of these birds in a season, and
once captured 6,296 in five months. The months of December 1718
and January 1719 were, so to say, singularly unproductive. During the
former month the Decoy was only worked on two days, the 22nd and 30th,
when only forty birds, all Ducks, were taken. In January four days' work
only produced fifty-three Ducks and twelve Wigeon.

In 1720-21 the season was prolonged until the 3rd of March, but to
very little purpose ; for on that day only fourteen Ducks were taken, and
the total number captured during the previous month of February was only
thirty-three.

In I 72 1 the price of wildfowl rose to 12s. per dozen, Mr. John Deal
still finding a market for all that could be spared from this Decoy. The
following year he gave 12s. per dozen to Michaelmas, and 14s. per dozen
from that date to the end of the season.

In 1723 appears the entry, "Sold to Mr. Wm. Foster this years wild
fowll att sixteen shillings per dozn." The same purchaser took all he could
get the following year at the same price; and in 1725 and 1726 i6s. per
dozen was again the price given by Messrs. DarnoU and Basset. With
the close of this season the MS. ends, and we are left in ignorance as to
whether the Decoy was then given up, or whether the owner died and it
changed hands, or what its fate was. It would be interesting to know
when and why it was finally abandoned.

To judge by the following summary, which is copied from the
last page of the MSS. (all in the same handwriting), it would appear
as if one reason for giving up the Decoy was the gradual falling off in
numbers of fowl observable during the last three years in which it was

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

83

worked — or, at least, the last three years of which an account has been
preserved, and the consequent falhng off in the profits, which dwindled
from ;^8i to ^69, and eventually to £t,2) only. Whether this falling off
was occasioned by the establishment, or successful working, of other Decoys
in the neighbourhood, or by the reclamation and cultivation of the surround-
ing marsh lands, does not appear ; both these causes probably had their
influence upon the birds. Here is the summary referred to : — ■

An Account of Wildfowll Ketcht att Steeple Duckoy.

Ducks.

Teal.

Pyntail.

Wiggin.

£

s.

d.

1714

67s

347

46

6296

150

00

00

1715

449

51a

42

6088

143

04

04

1716

392

154

IS

S817

147

04

02

1717

329

30

I

5207

130

oS

09

1718

193

40

6

3138

78

13

08

1719

207

14

2

825

27

i.S

06

1720

81

07

0

2789

62

00

3

1721

267

24

3

3317

94

16

00

1722

568

17

8

4514

164

15

08

1723

449

70

7

3260

142

08

08

1724

498

14s

4

1306

81

16

06

1725

202

19

4

1671

69

18

00

1726

266

1 1

0

449

33

00

00

From this table it appears that the amount realized by the sale of
wildfowl during thirteen years was £1,126 is. 6d., or an average of £102
per annum.

It would seem that nearly all the Ducks and Teal taken in this Decoy
were foreigners, and not home-bred birds ; for it is remarkable that during
the months of August and September, before the large migrating flocks
had arrived, comparatively iitw were captured, which would scarcely have
been the case had these birds nested in any numbers in the surrounding
marshes.

Since writing the above, I have found in the British Museum an old
map of Essex, dated in MS. 1719, and entered in the map catalogue as
dated [1720?], wherein the site of this Decoy is clearly marked. It is
placed on the east bank of Steeple Creek, between Steeple and the Black-
water. This map was prepared from a survey made by John W^arburton,
F.R.S., and Somerset Herald, assisted by Messrs. Bland and Smith."

84 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Latcliiiigton Decoy. — In Bowcn's Map of Essex, 1 760, wherein four
Decoys are indicated, one is placed on the south bank of the Blackwater,
on the west side of Latchington Creek, some 2 miles W. of Steeple, and
a mile E. of Mundon.

Having now described the nine Decoys that exist or existed south of
the Blackwater River, we will cross over to the northern shore of that
estuary, commencing near Maldon and taking the Decoys seriatim from
west to east. They are ten in number, and the first to deal with are
those at Goldhanger.

Goldhanger (i), on the north shore of the Blackwater, a mile SW. of
Goldhanger, and 2\ miles E. of Maldon. This old Decoy is within 150
paces of the shore, and a \ mile S. of Gardener's Farm House, near Cobb's,
Jehu's, and Brand's Farms.

It had five pipes.

Goldhanger (2). Half a mile SE. of Goldhanger, on the verge of the
shore, was another Decoy. It was placed N. of Goldhanger Creek, on the
point of land that divides the creek running up to Goldhanger and that
going to Joyce's Farm House. This Decoy is i-j- miles E. of the last
described, and was a very fine one with eight pipes.

Both of these pools are in Goldhanger parish, and were worked within
the recollection of an old runner still livine, aged 70, and known to
Colonel Russell, the well-known wildfowl shooter, to whom, together with
Dr. Laver of Colchester, I am greatly indebted for their researches anent
Essex Decoys. Of the first-mentioned of these Decoys the traces may
be still seen. It is situated on Cobb's Farm, the property of the Rev.
Coope Arnold, of Hertford House, Coventry, and now in the occupation of
Mr. Frederick Wakelin, and covers some 16 or 17 acres of marsh, sur-
rounded by trees. It used to be worked by Cooper of Goldhanger until
within the last 15 years. One of these Decoys was formerly a Pochard
pond, but when the lead of these birds dropped off it was made into a
Duck Decoy.

Folkard, in his " Wildfowler," page 96, writing in 1875, in allusion to
the Essex " Pochard Ponds," says, "that on one or two occasions within
present memory the capture of Pochards, or Dunbirds as they are locally
called, has been so great at one drop or pull of the net that a waggon and
four horses were required to remove them ; and he adds that these birds

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 85

have been known to resort in flights so numerous as apparently to cover
every available space of water in the pond, and that 500 to 600 Pochards
at one rise of the net was in those days considered quite a moderate
capture. "

These birds were taken by means of high nets affixed to poles.

The Pochard were alarmed off the pond, and at the moment they
quitted it, the nets and poles previously laid flat on the ground, were freed,
and springing up intercepted the Pochard in their flight, which on rising
was very low for some distance.

The nets were placed near the edge of the pond, and were so arranged
with balance weights that on pulling a string they instantly stood upright.

The pond had several such nets to suit the various directions in
which the Pochard when driven flew away. At the foot of each net a
deep trench was dug, from out of which the birds were unable to escape,
when tumbled therein by suddenly striking the nets.

Sollcys Decoy, on the N. shore of the Blackwater, and h a mile E. of
the last one described, also on the edge of the shore.

This pool, a large one with eight pipes, formerly belonged to a
Mr. Solley ; it is known also as the " Wigeon Pond." It is opposite
the Decoy last mentioned, but across the creek running up to Joyce's Farm,
from which it is distant (S.) ^ a mile, and is a mile SSE. of Goldhanger.
It has not been in use for twenty years.

Gore Decoy, on the N. shore of the Blackwater, and under \ a mile E.
of Solley's Decoy, is another, known as the Tollesbury Gore Decoy ; it is
situated close to and W. of the Gore Saltings, from which it derives its
name, and close to the sea. It is -^^ a mile SE. of Hervey's Farm and
Joyce's Farm, and i^ miles SE. of Goldhanger.

Though worked in present memory, it has not been in use for many
years.

Skinner's Wick, or ll'hitehotise Decoy, on the N. shore of the Black-
water, a pool that derives its name from being near two farms so called.

The Decoy is within a hundred paces of the shore and opposite to
the Gore Decoy, across the creek in which are the Gore Saltings. It had
eight pipes and is -^ a mile S. of Skinner's Wick Farm House.

It is in Tollesbury parish, and is 2 miles SW. of Tollesbury and i
mile S. of Tolleshunt D'Arcy. This was formerly a very successful Decoy,

S6 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

but was given up some thirty jears ago. Long since it was worked by
Mr. Smith's father, who is alluded to in connection with the Oakley Park
Decoy.

Bohuiis Hall Decoy, on the N. shore of the Blackwater, and so called
from a residence named Bohun's Hall to which it was formerly attached.
It is if miles E. of the last Decoy, and is on the N. side of " Old Mill
Creek," a \ mile W. of Mill Point and a little over a mile and a half S. of
Tollesbury. As this Decoy is placed in what are known as the left Decoy
marshes it is sometimes spoken of as the left Decoy. To the E. of the
Decoy are the Mill Farm, and Tollesbury Wick marshes.

The Decoy was a large one, with eight pipes, and also possessed a set
of nets and poles for taking Pochard. It has been out of use many years.

Old Hall Decoy, N. of the Blackwater, in the parish of Tolles-
bury, 3 miles E. of Tolleshunt D'Arcy, has been for several years in the
occupation of Dr. J. H. Salter of D'Arcy House, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, near
Kelvedon. It was previously rented with the adjoining shooting, by Sir
G. Prescott, Bart. The Decoy is close to Pennyhole Fleet in the Old
Hall Marshes, in the centre of the peninsula of land formed by the Salcot
Channel and the Tollesbury Fleet North Channel. This Decoy, as I am
informed by Dr. Salter, was one of the largest and best in the county,
but labours under the disadvantage that the surroundino- marshes are
much used for grazing purposes, and are consequently always being dis-
turbed, a circumstance which prevents the proper success of the Decoy.

The pool, a very ancient one, covers about 14 acres, and has eight
pipes. The date of its construction is unknown. No regular account
has been kept of the fowl taken, which were formerly reputed almost
fabulous in number ; and Dr. Salter states that beyond taking a few
hundreds a year in hard seasons, he does very little with the Decoy, pre-
ferring to shoot the fowl in the adjacent marshes. The birds captured
are chiefly Duck and Teal ; very few Wigeon, which latter prefer the
Decoys of Marsh House and Grange, south of the Blackwater. To-
gether with other fowl caught, Dr. Salter mentions Pintail, Shoveller
(which breed here in numbers), Tufted Duck, Long-tailed Duck,
Pochard, Golden-eye, Merganser, and Divers of different species. Among
birds not often captured in a Decoy, Dr. Salter mentions an Owl, a Snipe,
a Partridge, and a Kingfisher.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. S7

Old Hall (2). A mile to the E. of and near the Old Hall Decoy just
described, in the same marshes, are to be seen traces of a small Decoy for
Teal, long since disused, and of which no particulars are now obtainable.

Mersea Island, or West Mersea Decoy, on the N. bank of the Black-
water, 8 miles S. of Colchester, and i^ miles E. of West Mersea village.
In a " General View of the Agriculture of the County of Essex," by the
Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, 8vo, London, 1807, the following
account is given of the Decoy on Mersea Island (vol. ii. p. 361) : —

" One of the best, if not the most considerable Decoy in the county, is
on Mersea Island, and rented, with a small farm of about sixty acres, by Mr.
Buxton, of Layer de la Haye. He was so obliging as to accompany me
from thence into Mersea, and to show me his Decoy. Not having before
viewed a Decoy in the taking season, I had not remarked the precaution of
each person taking a piece of lighted turf on a table-fork in his hand to
approach the Decoy ; as the wild ducks, it is said, would smell the person
without caution, and immediately quit the pond. I found the expenses of
this Decoy considerable : two men attend it, who are paid above ^100 a
year ; repairs, net, rents, &c., amount in all to about ^300 a year. Ducks
are sometimes as low as 14s. a dozen. The contrivance for taking Dicnbirds
was new to me. At the Decoy for them near Ipswich [the Brantham
Decoy is here alluded to. — Author], there are a series of very high poles,
to which the nets are attached, for taking them in their flight ; and these
poles are permanent. At this Mersea Decoy, to which this bird resorts in
large quantities as well as ducks, the net poles are lowered when not at
work. Mr. Lee has a Decoy at Goldhanger, in which he took at one haul
one waggon load and two cart-loads of Dunbirds ; but the disturbance
made frightened such as escaped so much, that he took no more that
season."

Mersea Island is often spoken of as East and West Mersea. The
island is not divided, and it is called thus to distinguish its extremities.
It is close to the north bank of the Blackwater Estuary. The Mersea
Island Decoy was discontinued 15 years ago on account of the shore-
gunners, who were able by reason of its proximity to the coast, to disturb
it with shooting. It was originally a Pochard pond, and is situated on land
known as " Bacon's Farm."

Having now dealt with the Decoys on both shores ol the Blackwater,

88 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

those that are positioned along the coast from the mouth of the River
Colne to Harwich shall be next treated ; and finally the Decoys between
Harwich and Manningtree, near the S. bank of the Stour.

Inland Decoys, as before pointed out, did not exist in Essex. They
all lay either close to, or within a very short distance of, the tide.

Lion Point Decoy. — A Decoy existed within a ^ mile of Old Lion
Point, near the coastguard station, 2 miles SSE. of St. Osyth, and 2^ miles
E. of Colne Point. The pool is often spoken of as the " Wick " Decoy,
as it was situated in the Wick marshes — on Cockett Wick Farm. It was
made by the late Mr. George Simpson in i860, but was never worked, and
is now the property of Sir J. H. Johnson

Old Mose Hail Decoy, near Beaumont-cum-Moze, and 3 J miles NE.
of Thorpe le Soken. There was formerly a Decoy here, on land belong-
ing to Guy's Hospital, situated close to the tidal estuary called Hanford
Water, near its NW^. extremity at the head of Oakley Creek. In 18 10 an
action was brought by the then owner, Mr. Carrington, against one Taylor,
for firing a gun near the Decoy and frightening the fowl away, which
gave the defendant an opportunity of shooting them. The case was tried
by Lord Ellenborough in the Court of King's Bench, and resulted in a
verdict for the plaintiff. It will be found reported in 1 1 East, p. 571, and
2 Camp., p. 258.

The pond, as I am informed, has not been in use for the last forty
years. Duck and Wigeon were the fowl chiefly taken here, but the
proximity to a rival pool at Great Oakley Hall led to continual inter-
ference with the success of either, and eventually resulted in both Decoys
being abandoned. The Old Mose Hall Decoy was last worked in 1841
by the widow of Mr. Joseph Salmon, who for some years rented the
Decoy and mansion from the Governors of Guy's Hospital. The pool was
100 yards wide, nearly round in form, and had six pipes.

The island called Pewit Island was near this Decoy, and it was so
called on account of the vast gatherings of these birds that frequented
it formerly.

Great Oakley Hall. — There was formerly a Decoy here with six pipes,
on the property of Miss Maria Bull, also situated near Hanford Water, and
vi^ithin 300 yards (N.) of the Old Mose Hall Decoy, just described. It has
not been worked for many years, although used within the recollection of

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 89

Mr. James Smith, now living at Harwich, who states that his father and
grandfather before him were Decoymen at Great Oakley Hall. Mr. Smith
says that he has killed 36 dozen in one day, 100 dozen in one week, and
in one season 700 dozen wildfowl off this pool, though only an acre
in extent. It is said that the Decoy, while in working order, was very
lucrative to the owner, bringing in several hundred pounds a year. Its
proximity, however, to the rival Decoy at Old Mose Hall, situated close
by, led to so much dispute between the Decoymen (each trying to decoy
the other's birds) that both pools were eventually given up.

Mr. James Smith, above referred to, is the last remaining of the old
race of Essex Decoymen, and he not only worked the Great Oakley Hall
Decoy with much success, but in his youth the Marshhouse Decoy
(Mr. R. Page's) as well.

Mr. Smith, though now eighty years of age, is a fine specimen of
an old Decoyman, and his recollections of Decoys and Decoying are
both accurate and interesting. He is, however, very poor, and has to
work hard for his living as a shoemaker ; although, when adorned with
the Corporation cocked hat, gold lace petticoats, and bearing the mace of
his Worship the Mayor of Harwich, he is very imposing, for he is still
upright as in his youth, and well over 6 ft. high.

The following letter from Colonel Leathes (see Fritton Decoy), in
regard to old Mr. Smith and the Oakley Hall Decoy, is so good that
I cannot refrain from giving it in full, besides which it contains no little
information : —

Great Oakley Hall Decoy.

Letter from Colonel Leathes dcscribiiig an interview W7t/i old Mr. Smith.

" I have had a long conversation with old Mr. Smith, who was
the celebrated Decoyman on the Oakley Hall estate upwards of fifty
years ago. Smith appears, though now a man of eighty, to remember
everything in connection with the working of the Decoy very clearly.
He tells me his father began to employ him at the age of fourteen,
and that at that period the take of ducks was enormous, considering
the size of the Decoy pond. Oakley Decoy consisted of one acre only of
water ; it was circular, and fenced all round with a high wooden palisade,

N

90 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

the Decoy pipes being made in the usual fashion all round the pond, so as
to be worked according to the wind The largest take of ducks he ever
remembers in one season was 700 dozen ; but, he added, I mean 700 dozen
zi'Iiole fowl. Now, if we suppose that 300 dozen out of the 700 dozen were
Teal and Wigeon, of which there were large quantities in those days, we
have in reality these figures : — viz., 400 dozen whole fowl and 600 dozen half
fowl, four half fowl, as j'ou are aware, counting as one couple of ducks ; in
other words, you have this result of one season's catch on one acre of
water : —

400 dozen whole fowl = 4,800 ducks.

600 dozen half fowl = 7,200 Teal, Wigeon, Divers, &c.

Total . 12,000 birds.

This certainly is an enormous take oft one acre of water, and beats my
remembrance of our old Decoyman at Fritton Lake, John Fiske, — taking
600 ducks in one night, as I have known him do on several occasions.
Still, as my father's aunt, Mrs. Merry, who lived at our Decoy at Herring-
fleet Hall, on Fritton Lake, about sixty years ago, never made more than
^300 a year clear by the clucks, I don't think our success was ever equal
to that at Oakley Hall, especially when you consider how very small the
water of the latter place was.

" Mr. Smith states : 'We usually took the ducks at sunset and sunrise,
and used liver-coloured fox-terriers if they could be got, and were handy
ones. We used liver-coloured because the brighter the colour of the dogs
the better the ducks worked to them. A piece of burning turf was an
essential, the nose of the duck being so acute. We fed the Decoys
with the following : — Oats, buckwheat, and hempseed oil, the latter being
sprinkled over the former to give it flavour, and at times we also used
malt coombs with a dash of oil of aniseed over them, this latter concoction
ducks being verj- fond of I never remembered,' adds Mr. Smith, ' more
than eighteen dozen ducks taken in one drive, namely, 212.' Now I
remember," says Colonel Leathes, " about ten years ago 300 ducks being
taken on Fritton Decoy in one drive. Old Smith narrates, ' My father and
I had a good deal of trouble in keeping the Decoy open on very cold,
frosty nights ; but we would break the ice as well as we could till the ducks

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 91

returned home from the feed in the early morning, and then we would
throw a quantity of barley on the then fresh formed ice, and the weight of
the ducks getting upon its surface would cause it to break again, and allow
a mass of birds to keep swimming about all day in a small compass of
water, and so doing the work for us of keeping the Decoy open. Some-
times a ferret was used, but nothing equalled a good, liver-coloured
dog.

" ' The ducks we used as Decoy ducks were always a good, dark grey in
colour, ducks that would quack well. They well knew their work, and when
the drives took place would go on quietly swimming about as if nothing had
happened. Hard b)' the Oakley Hall Decoy pond was the Decoy at
Mose Hall.' Mr. Smith describes with animation how this Decoy came to
be discontinued, and how his and his father's occupation was at last ruined
by the spite of the Decoyman at Old Mose Hall.

" The two Decoymen were sworn and jealous enemies, and the one at
Old Mose Hall, to annoy the other, used to buy all the assafoetida he could
afford, and building it into a lump on the top of a bonfire when the wind
was dead on for the rival Decoy, he used to set fire to it. To use Mr.
Smith's words, ' The stink then was awful, and neither man nor duck could
stand it and had to leave the position in the hands of the enemy. No, that
vile stuff stunk out the whole place, and finally killed my father of grief and
destroyed the fine Decoy.' "

Horsey Island. — A large island in Hamford Water 2 miles NW. of
Walton-le-Soken, on which a Decoy formerly existed, and was last worked
by a man named Abraham Annis, about 50 years ago.

The pool with six pipes is still to be seen ; it is placed close to Walton
Creek in the stone marshes, and was discontinued owing to the difficulty of
supplying it with fresh water.

Dovercourt Decoy, i mile E. of Ramsey, on a marsh adjoining .South
Hall. The outline of the pool can still be traced, though it has not been
worked for 60 years.

The Decoys that existed along the shore of Essex travelling north
from the Colne to Harwich being now described, we will turn due west
from Harwich to Manningtree, along the S. bank of th(! Stour estuary.

At a distance from Harwich of 7 miles (W.) wc come to a grcnij) of
four old Decoys, all within 3 mih^s cast of Bradfield. Of these four pools.

92 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

thoiK>-h worked in present memory, no particulars are now procurable.
They are as follows : —

Roydon Hall Decoy, 2 miles W. of Ramsey and 3 miles E. of Brad-
field, on the S. side of Stour Wood, near Roydon Hall.

The Old Decoy, or Jacques Hall Old Decoy, is placed a J mile E. of
Jacques Hall, the same distance S. of Jacques Bay, on the Stour River,
and a mile NE. of Bradfield, and 300 paces S. of the Harwich and Man-
ningtree Railway. The pond is quite filled up and its enclosure alone
remains.

Jacques Hall Decoy, 5 of a mile S. of the last-named, is placed the
above pool, of which little trace remains. It is distant i mile SE. of
Bradfield, 300 paces E. of Bluehouse Farm, the same distance N. of
Kingswood, and f of a mile N. of Wicks.

Pond Hall Decoy. — A \ mile E. of Jacques Hall Decoy, and \ a
mile S. of Bradfield, are the remains of the above-named pool. It is near
the residence of Miss Simpson, from which it derives its name ; like Jacques
Hall Decoy it is just a mile S. of the Stour River.

Both are in the parish of Wix, or Wicks, and the land they are
situated on was part of the possessions of the large Benedictine Monastery
of Wix.

Traces of this Decoy are still plainly visible, though it has not been
in use for many years.

Wormingford Decoy, 3 miles WSW. of Nayland, on the S. bank of
the River Stour, some 1 2 miles above Manningtree.

This pool is 9 acres in extent, is skirted with reeds and bullrushes, and
surrounded by willows and alders.

During the winter months it is much visited by wildfowl ; but no
record, its owner states, exists of its history as a Decoy.

Leaving the Stour and travelling south we come to

Villa Farm Decoy, 2^ miles SSW. of Elmstead, and i mile E. of
Wivenhoe.

A Decoy existed here many years ago. The pond still remains, but is
almost grown over with reeds and willows.

To face. Dogt 93.

Plan of Crab- Shaped Decoy.

SCALE - 120 FT TO AN INCH.

TOO iooFeet

100 so 0

I M M t-l M l-t

Blu£. -Water.
&Tezn,— Land.
:?6Z^0M',_ Paths

BERKELEY- HORN BY- SEDGE MOO Rand SHARP HAM.

i-TaiTriljy AuUict-

Vincent Brooks Da.y& Son, litho.

93

HISTORY OF D'ECOY'^—icontinued).

CHAPTER VII.

Decoys in the County of Glamorgan.

Decoys in use. Decoys out of 7i.se.

Park Wern. | None.

Par& Wern Decoy, 9 miles W. of Swansea, on the property of Sir
H. Hussey Vivian, Bart., who, in 1865, formed a small Decoy in Llanridian
Marsh, east of the village of that name, at Killibion, near the estuary of
the Burry river, on its south shore. It is about an acre in extent, with
three pipes, and the average number of fowl taken annually for the last
five years has been about i 14 head, the greater number being Duck and
Mallard. This small Decoy has only been worked to supply the owner's
wants, and no attempt has been made to try how many birds could be
taken in a season.

Decoys in the County of Gloucester.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Berkeley Castle (2). | None.

Berkeley Castle (Earl Fitzhardinge), 3 miles N. of the town of Berke-
ley, 1 2 miles SW. of Gloucester, and close to the south bank of the River
Severn, within a mile E. of Purton. These are the only Decoys in the
county. The pools, of which there are two within a mile of one another,
are about an acre apiece in extent, and there are four pipes to each. The
old pool is on the verge of the S. bank of the Berkeley and Gloucester
Canal, which was formed .so close to it that, fearing the Decoy would suffer
therefrom, the new Decoy was constructed in 1840 between the canal and
the Severn, on the New Grounds.

94 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The owner informs me that the operation of the Ground Game Act
has nearly ruined these Decoys ; the constant shooting scaring the wildfowl
away. Before the passing of the Act, the average take every year was
1,370, but it has now dropped to about 500 head. These pools are on the
same plan as that of the Hornby Decoy in Yorkshire, as well as those at
Sedgemoor and near Glastonbury in Somerset, and from which latter they
were originally copied, — though afterwards improved by William Skelton.
The pipes are right and left-handed ones. The new pool was constructed
by the late Mr. Joseph Wilcox, of Nash, near Newport, who owned Decoys
at that place. Falling nets are fitted to the entrances of the Decoy pipes,
so that by pulling a cord they can be dropped down. A great many Ducks
were formerly thus captured at the Berkeley Decoys when feeding in the
pipes at night.

Decoys in the County of Hampshire.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None.

North Stoneham.
Bournemouth.
New Forest.

North Stoneham Decoy, 2 miles SW. of Bishopstoke, on the property
of Mr. J. W. Fleming, of Stoneham Park, halfway between Bishopstoke
and Swathling, about a mile to the east of the railway line to Southampton
from London, and a quarter of a mile west of the River Itchen. This
Decoy has two pipes, and was constructed some eighty years ago, but was
disused about twelve years since, in consequence of the great disturbance
of the fowl by shooting in the neighbourhood.

The Decoy is situated at a lower level than the River Itchen, with
which it was, when in use, connected by a channel.

In hard weather the Decoyman was wont to run all the water out of
the Decoy at dusk after the fowl had flighted, and then, by an arrangement
of sluices, fill it ao-ain with fresh water from the river in the earlv morning-
before the ducks returned from their feedincj sfrounds.

He thus was always able to offer unfrozen water to attract the birds
when other Decoys were blocked up with ice,

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 95

Bournemouth. — Lord Malmesbury states that on the streams at
Bournemouth sixty years ago, before the present town arose, there used to
be a Decoy, the site of which is still known as the " 'coy Pond." No par-
ticulars, however, of its working are now obtainable.

I must here refer to Souley Pond, ; miles NE. of Lymington, in the
parish of Beaulieu, on Lord Henry Scott's estate near the Beaulieu river
estuary, and once the property of the famous Abbey of Beaulieu. This
large piece of water is frequented in severe weather by numbers of wild-
fowl from off the Solent, and could be made into a first-class Decoy at any
time. Though sometimes spoken of as The Decoy locally, it never was
one, as it was formed to work by water-pressure the iron hammers used
for shaping metal for vessels, as well as for other purposes, in the days
when wood was the only fuel available for smelting purposes. The old
forge is still well remembered in the locality, and the beat of the hammers
could, in a SW. wind, be heard at Beaulieu, 4 miles distant.

Neiv Forest. — An enclosure in the New Forest is still called the
Decoy Pond, though it is now devoid of water. It is situated half way
between Beaulieu and Lyndhurst, on the head waters of the Beaulieu
river, near Ipley Farm, a little N. of Yew Tree Heath and Blackdown.
In a map of 1789 it is marked at that date even as "The old Decoy
Pond," so that, as may be supposed, there are no records of it to be found.

Decoys in the County of Hereford.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Shobdon Court.

Shobdon Court, 5^ miles E. of Presteigne (Lord Bateman's). There
used to be a Decoy here on a pool of eight acres, with three pipes, and
many years ago Lord Bateman had a new pipe made by George Skelton,
junior, who came from Norfolk to construct it.

But this, together with the others, became silted up, and the Decoy has
been practically useless for twenty years. Lord Bateman tells me that he
remembers catching thirty-five ducks in it at one time.

96 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Decoys in the County of Huntingdon.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Holme Fen.

The fens and meres of Hvmtingdon before they were reclaimed lay
in the NE. of the county, chiefly between Ramsey and Peterborough. The
larger meres consisted of Whittlesey (3,000 acres) and Ramsey {1,^00 acres),
and the smaller, of those known as Ugg Mere and Trundle Mere, as well
as other still smaller ones. The fens in partial cultivation surrounded
these meres in all directions for many miles, and the principal of them were
Farcctt Fen, north of Whittlesey Mere, Holme Fen on its south side,
Stilton Fen on its west side, and Middle Moor or Foi on its SE. shore.
South of Holme Fen was the vast tract of swamp known as The Great Fen.

From EaritJi, near the river Ouse, to Ramsey Mere, the fens covered
the entire country, extending a distance of 1 1 miles uninterruptedly.

These fens and meres comprised an area of 44,000 acres, and the
latter were finally drained and cultivated in 1852.

As far as I can discover, no Decoys existed in Huntingdonshire
save that known as Holme Fen Decoy, near Whittlesey Mere. The
fens of this county were so frequently flooded that they were not adapted
for Decoys, and the difficulty of growing trees or shrubs on such wet land
also militated against their formation.

&

Holme Decoy, between Ramsey and Peterborough, in Holme Fen, 2\
miles E. of Holme, 6 miles S. of Peterborough, and a mile from the south
shore of Whittlesey Mere, before the latter was drained.

A Decoy was constructed here in the year 1815 by Richard Skelton,
son of old George Skelton, who stated to my correspondent, F. Coles, now
occupying a farm in Holme Fen, that for the first three or four years the
Decoy was drowned by the floods, and he caught no ducks. In the following
year he took 200 dozen in seven days, which, counting Teal and Wigeon as
half birds, probably represented 3,000 fowl. The pool was about an acre
in extent, with three pipes, and was surrounded by 10 acres of rough land,
the surrounding fen being then uncultivated. Coles states that during
the last years of its existence very few fowl were taken in this Decoy, for

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 97

when Skelton began to cultivate the land round It, about the year 1843 or
1844, the birds deserted the spot. This was a few years before the
Middle Level Drainage was commenced.

Mr. J. M. Heathcote, in his " Reminiscences of Fen and Merc " (pp.
48, 49), has given a brief notice of this Decoy, with a rough sketch of one
of the pipes.

The Decoy was on property belonging to Captain Wells.

T. G. Skelton, who remembers this Decoy well, informs me he
recollects his uncle Richard taking 30 dozen birds here each day on three
consecutive days. Nor are these large takes at all unlikely, considering
the nature of the surrounding country, which in those times abounded in
large meres, and fens.

Whittlesey Mere was drained in 1852, and the Decoy about the same
date given up. This large mere was 3 miles long and a mile wide. It was
the resort of eight fowlers, who regularly attended it, to shoot wildfowl
during the winter, and to cut reeds and catch fish in the summer. Three
of these men are at this date (1885) now living. They shot the fowl from
small shallow boats, using flint guns 8 ft. 6 in. long, some of which are still
to be seen in the district.

Decoys in the County of Hertford.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

The Hoo. I None.

At The Hoo, near Welwyn, 8 miles WNW. of Hertford, is a small
trap Decoy belonging to Lord Dacre, and used only to supply household
wants. The one cage that is attached to the pool is 30 ft. long, 1 2 ft.
wide, and 9 ft. high, and is covered with wire netting. When the fowl
swim up the ditch under the cage they are entrapped by means of a falling
door, worked by a wire from a distance, as is the case at Hardwick (which
see), and other trap Decoys. The Decoy was constructed in 1870, and
the takes are but a few dozen fowl in the season, as they are rec^uircd from
time to time for the table of the owner.

98 THE BOOK OF DICK DECOYS.

Decoys in the County of Kent.
Decoys ill use. Decoys not in use.

None.

Grovehurst.
Kemsley.

Grox'churst Decoy, 12 miles ENE. of Maidstone, in the parish of
Milton, near Swade, in the marshes close to King's Ferry and within a
mile south of the Swale Creek, that leads by Sheerness to Queenborough,
Milton, and FaYersham. There used to be a Decoy here, believed to have
been 150 years old. It was known as Fullager's Decoy, Fullager being
the name of the farmer who rented the grazing in the adjoining marsh.
It was also spoken of as the " Sittingbourne Decoy."

When the railway to Sheerness was constructed, it passed close to the
Decoy, and in course of some years utterly spoilt it. It has, in consequence,
not been worked since 1866. The pool was about 2 acres in extent, exclu-
sive of the surrounding cover of willows and alders, and had four pipes.

It belonged to Mr. W. Gascoyne of Westgate-on-Sea, and for many years
was worked by a man named Chapman, still living. From the carefully
kept Decoy Book of expenses and catches lent me by Chapman in connec-
tion with this Decoy, I find that the largest take in one season during his
time was 2,500 fowl. The best day's catching resulted in 140 fowl, and the
greatest number at a drive was 80 Duck and Mallard — this, too, within 40
miles of London. But formerly all the district surrounding this Decoy
consisted of extensive marsh lands, intersected by numerous creeks and
arms of the sea, and so very favourable to attract wildfowl.

Mr. Gascoyne has very kindly furnished me with the following in-
teresting account of this Decoy. He says : —

"In 1847 my late father purchased the farm called Great Grovehurst,
upon which was an ancient Decoy in working order. A Lincolnshire
Decoyman came every season to take the wildfowl, and as I was in occupa-
tion and living within two miles, I became greatly interested in the pond.

"Although never a commercial success, over 1,000 Ducks and 1,000
Teal have been taken in one season, but some years they fell off to a
quarter of that nnmber. Owing to this falling off, my Lincolnshire man
eventually found it not worth his while to come, and I had to teach a local

n IS TORY OF DECOYS. 99

man of the keeper class. Eventually a great misfortune befell the pond
in the opening of the Sheerness Railway within 250 yards of it.
Cement works were also built within a mile, the neighbourhood became
much more inhabited, and the use of the gun was universal. But the
death-blow to the pond was the lowering of the general drainage
of the surrounding marsh land 4 feet. This dried up acres of shallow
water ; the ducks ceased to arrive in any numbers, and some eighteen
years ago the pond ot It} acres of water and its cover of about 6 acres
were cleared and planted with fruit trees.

" The birds were taken in the usual way, being fascinated by a dog
running up net-covered ditches called ' pipes,' the dog being trained to
appear and disappear, always going from the pond and towards the tunnel-
net at the extreme end of the pipe. As many as 20 ducks would be
taken at a time without the birds in the pond being alarmed. The dog
at times would wear a coat of many colours just for a change, and be
successful. I once made a good take by accident. A stoat hunted a
rabbit up the ' pipe,' running through a hole in the screen near the ducks.
Being on the watch, I was astonished to see birds swimming up the pipe,
and in a moment I was behind them ; they flew from me into the smaller
end, and were caught.

" The fowl taken at my Decoy were Ducks, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail,
Gadwall, Pochard, Golden-eye, Tufted Duck and Shoveller.

" Teal began to arrive by the end of August : the ducks a month
later. Some of the ducks were bred in England, and we called them
'Tame-flyers.' A few were crossed with tame ducks, and formed a good
' lead,' as they left the pond at sunset and returned every morning just at
dawn, often with numerous companions, who would tly round several times
before alighting, the regular visitants coming straight in from any height
with a rush ! so that the Deco)'man on the watch could tell how many
' fresh birds' he had each day. The pond was supplied by an artesian well ;
and during rainy weather floods passed through and helped to prevent its
freezing up. Severe frost often caused great expense, as men had to keep a
boat moving all night, only leaving oft" just as the birds came in at dawn.
At such times three out of the four pipes would be frozen up, the birds seated
out on the ice coming occasionally to drink at the open pipe. The catching
was then assisted by a free use of canary seed and otlier small seeds and

ICO THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

corn, the tame-flyers coming up freely and eating greedily. The fresh
birds would soon follow, and being very hungry would swim far enough
under the net to get caught. At such times a few wild ducks would
have the pinion feathers cut from one wing ; they soon got tame and
attracted numbers of Mallards, especially in the spring.

" About one mile to the SE. of Grovehurst Pool is another smaller
abandoned Decoy on my property, called Kemsley ; this has not been in
use for loo years, but I am told was used for taking Teal, the larger pond
being frequented by ducks. I well remember the Teal in my Grovehurst
Decoy, sometimes to the number of 500, trying to sit out of the way of the
ducks, even seating themselves on the top of the low hedge, fencing in the
pond from the surrounding cover, so as to be out of the reach of their
larger neighbours."

About six years ago Mr. G. Webb of Tunstall, near Sittingbourne,
commenced to enclose about 240 acres of salt land near the mouth of the
River Medway, at the lower end of Chitney Marshes, only a few miles
from the Grovehurst Decoy, and he has lately formed a large square pond,
planted round with alder, willow, and sedge, in the hope of attracting
wildfowl, though no " pipes " have yet been constructed. But the water
from the creek that fills the pond being salt, the ducks will not drink it,
and consequently do not remain long, although a good many have been
seen there at one time during the past season (18S4-5).

Decoys in the County of Lancaster.

Decoys ill use. Decoys 7tot in ttse.

Hale. I Orford Hall.

Hale Decoy, 9 miles SE. of Liverpool and ■]\ miles S. of Prescot, on
a small peninsula on the N. bank of the Mersey River, and opposite
Prodsham and Runcorn in Cheshire.

The only Decoy worked in Lancashire is that at Hale, belonging to
Colonel J. Blackburne, RLP.

This Decoy is situated near the village of Hale, is within 150 yards of
a high road and 450 yards of the Mersey Estuary. The pool is an acre in

HISTORY OF DECOYS. loi

extent and has five pipes ; it is in a small plantation, and has a moat round
it 1 8 ft. wide, which is filled during high tides — a useful adjunct to ensure the
privacy of the Decoy as well as to keep out vermin from the Decoy grounds.
This Decoy, though its takes are now comparatively small to what they
were formerly, is kept up in admirable order by its owner, who takes much
interest in it.

Its exact age is vmknown, but there is conclusive evidence to prove
that it has been in existence for 1 50 years.

Many years ago it was partly re-constructed by one of the Skeltons.

In 1754 the Decoy was much improved by the then Mr. Blackburne,
who at that date came to settle at Hale from Orford Hall, near Warrington,
where there had also long been a Decoy, though abandoned now for many
years.

The owner of the Hale Decoy has in his possession the Decoy book
connected therewith, and which has been kept since iSoi.

Teal predominate amongst the fowl now taken, though formerly Wild-
duck were most abundant. For instance, in the following seasons it will
be seen the latter bird was in the majority : —

Date.

Duck.

Wigeon.

Teal.

Total.

1S12

27S

39

71

388

1813

307

35

108

450

1814

133

10

60

203

1815

182

10

54

246

1816

174

47

82

303

1817

255

3

99

357

1820

227

3

2

232

1825

123

S

0

128

However, in 1875 came a change, for Teal suddenly apjjeared in tlit'
Decoy, and were caught in a much greater proportion than before, the;
Duck now being in the minority. For example, in

Date.

Duck.

Wigeon.

Teal.

Total.

1875

444

0

718

1,162

1876

274

i8

64s

937

1877

191

29

563

783

1878

92

2

298

392

1879

126

3

323

452

1884

56

5

6n

672

1885

52

8

759

819

102 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

These statistics are both instructive and curious, anel tend to show
what a "lead " of fowl will do for a Decoy. The Teal that now resort to
Hale must, with rare exceptions, be birds from far-off regions that have
gradually imparted to their descendants the fact that such favourable
shelter as the quiet pool offers them, is existent.

Thus those that are not caught return to their nesting haunts year
by year, and so the information is handed down.

As to the Wild-duck, these were most likely homebreeding birds, who,
when they left the Decoy at the end of the season, retired to the wild spots,
known as " moss lands," which formerly abounded in Lancashire, to rear
their young.

Since these feeding and breeding-grounds have been drained the Wild-
duck have, it may be said, deserted the county ; and it may have also
occurred that the Decoyman was not careful to leave in the Decoy, at the
end of the season, enough Duck to bring back a " lead " the ensuing year,
should foreign birds have been in the habit of visiting the pond. Both
causes would account for the small number of Duck now taken at Hale.

Orford Hall, within a mile of Warrington, at the head of the Mersey
estuary, on its north bank. Formerly, as above stated, the residence of the
Blackburne family, and now in the possession of Mr. W. Beamont. This
gentleman states that some 50 to 60 years ago he recollects the Orford
Decoy being last used. The remains of the Decoy are still to be traced,
though almost grown up with underwood.

I03

HISTORY OF DYLCO\S— {coil fi/itied).

CHAPTER VIII.

LINCOLNSHIRE.

Truly this county was the home of Decoys, for I am able to give a Hst of
no less than 38 of these contrivances as formerly existing in Lincoln, only
one of which is now worked — that at Ashby. The Decoys of Lincoln
chiefly flourished in its eastern and southern portions, notably between
Sleaford and Crowland, and from Wainfleet to Boston. A line drawn from
Sutton St. Mary's, near Crosskeys Wash, via Crowland, Market Deeping,
Bourne, Falkingham, Sleaford, Tattershall, Spilsby, and Wainfleet, to the
sea at the latter place, would enclose the large majority of the Lincolnshire
Decoys, as well as many of the great fens in which they existed. The
principal of these fens, and beginning north near Wainfleet, were the East
and West Fens, on the eastern side of which the Friskney, Wainfleet, and
Wrangle Decoys were situated — Wildmore Fen, Holland Fen (22,000
acres), the Kyme Fens, Sempringham Fen, Pinchbeck Fens, Bourne Fen,
Deeping Fen (15,000 acres), Cowbit and Whaplode Fens; besides these
there were the great marshes of Gedney, Holbeach, and Moulton, east of
Spalding and between that town and the sea.

North-west of the district just described the Fens reached from
Tattershall to Lincoln ; these latter were drained at the close of the last
century, and 20 to 30 square miles of country was enclosed in con-
sequence.

In 1808 (about the year most of the Lincolnshire Decoys were dis-
continued) it was calculated that near 200,000 acres of fen had by drainage
come under cultivation in Lincoln. In the time of Elizabeth the reports
of the day state that the East Fen was usually under water throughout the
winter ; nevertheless, no attempt to properly drain it or the other low lands
of Lincolnshire was made until the close of the last century ; and though

104 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

numerous efforts had been previously made in that respect, the success
resulting therefrom was meagre and disappointing. As an example of how
far inland the tide penetrated in bygone days it is said that vessels were
formerly able to sail to the city of Lincoln from the sea up the River
Witham, the latter then considered to have been a broad estuary.

The western part of the county was also subject to disastrous inunda-
tions owing to the flooding of the Trent. A range of low sand hills
confine the Trent from Western Lincolnshire ; these hills extend from
Girton in Notts to Marton in Lincolnshire, all along the course of the
river on its right bank.

At the low places in this natural dam immense protective dykes have
been built to confine the floods and direct them north to the H umber.

One of the dykes, that near Spalford, gave way through the pressure
of water in 1 795 ; the inundation did great mischief, and covered for
weeks over 20,000 acres west of Lincoln, the floods even reaching the
city.

In the NW. part of the county a large tract of marsh, known as the
Isle of Axholme (17,000 acres), because it was surrounded by rivers and
floods, was also finally drained at the end of the last century. But to
return to the Fens. In i 76S a serious riot took place owing to the pro-
posed enclosure of Holland Fen ; at that date not a single acre of this Fen
was dry land from October to March, and on January ist, 1779, during a
memorable gale, vessels from near Boston were driven inland two miles
over the marshes, and at Lynn, on the same coast further south, the
market-place was two feet under water.

Previous to the last extensive drainage in 1810, Wildmore and Holland
Fens were often under water throughout the winter to a depth of from
3 to 6 ft. The late Mr. Pedley, in his " Fens and Floods of Mid-Lincoln-
shire," gives a capital account of the Fens and Fenmen of this county. He
says, " The Fenmen were good shots, and frequently used a horse for
stalking the wildfowl; others were in 'shouts,' or 'shallops,' of which
numbers might be seen drifting like logs of wood, and only showing signs
of being occupied by the reports and smoke from the guns."

In the summer the water evaporated and left a crop of water-grass,
which formed a ready shelter for the wild birds to nest in.

When the ground was dry it was stocked with immense numbers of

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 105

horses, cattle, sheep, and geese ; one man alone, INIr. Pedley says, having
sometimes a stock of 2,000 old-brood geese.

The Wildmore Fen was chiefly occupied by horses, a particular breed
of the latter known as Wildmore Tits being in great request. These
animals were generally of a grey colour, not large, and were said to be of
Arabian descent.

Great numbers of sheep were also depastured in Wildmore Fen, one
owner clipping as many as 1,200 sheep in a year. Mr. Pedley says that, in
1793, 40,000 sheep rotted on Holland and Wildmore Fens alone ; nor was
this the only evil, for the number stolen was incredible ; they were driven
off by night in whole flocks.

The East Fen, not effectually drained till 1S67, had been a morass
and bog from the earliest times ; large pools of stagnant water being-
dispersed throughout it. In Dugdale's time these pools numbered sixty-
one, besides many smaller ones, and they were all so connected
by channels of water that a boat could pass from one to the other.
Close to these pools were the Friskney and Wainfleet Decoys. Mr.
Pedley, before quoted, gives an amusing account of the East Fenmen.
It appears that in the summer season, when the waters had receded,
large districts were exposed, covered with coarse grass called fodder.
Every person having a right to this Fen had the privilege of employing
two labourers, and with them they would go into the Fen the evening
before midsummer-day and lie down to wait for a gun fired exactly at twelve
o'clock (midnight), then all would rise and set to work. By mutual
agreement all the fodder each party could mow a path round became
private property. After completing one circle they hastened to find fresh
ground to encircle in like manner, as long as any grass remained unclaimed.

After this they completed at leisure the mowing of those parts they
had previously cut a path round, and so every one usually obtained an
ample supply of food to serve his cattle with throughout the winter.

That Lincoln abounded in wildfowl more than other counties in
bygone days there is no doubt. The vast bay known as the " Wash," as
well as the sluggish rivers that emptied therein, would bring numberless
fowl to the shores of the county, afterwards to find their way to the inland
marshes and fens, wherein they doubtless nested in immense numbers.
In the extreme north of the county the great estuary of the H umber

P

io6 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

would have a similar effect. One-third of the county consisted of marsh
and fen, and this vast portion was subject to frequent floods during
winter, and from what I have said it may well be conjectured that to the
close of the last century Lincolnshire Decoying must have been a very
profitable trade.

Whilst treating of the Fens of this county I cannot omit the following
admirable account of the same, most kindly supplied me by Mr. Thomas
Southwell, F.Z.S., of Norwich, whose name frequently ajipears in these
pages. He says : —

" It is not to be imagined that a great improvement like the drainage
of the Fens, which involved such an entire change in the face of the
country, and, consequently, in the habits of the people, could be carried
out without serious opposition. The first act for the drainage of the
Bedford Level was passed in 1578 ; but, owing to vexatious litigation, and
even more active opposition still, the work was not accomplished till 1653.
Dugdale tells us that the ' almost barbarous sort of lazy and beggarly
people,' who lived by fishing and fowling of course, dreaded the loss of
their occupation, which was sure to follow the subsidence of the waters,
and opposed the improvement by all means in their power, one of which
was the making of ' libellous songs to disparage the work.' He gives one
of these songs, which is curious, but too long to quote entire. It is headed
the ' Powtes' Complaint,' and in it the fishes call upon the waters to
assemble, under the lead of 'good old Captain Flood,' 'who was never
known to fail us,' and beg Eolus, Neptune, and the Moon also to lend their
aid : —

" ' For we sliall rue it, if 't be true, that Fens be undertaken,

And where we feed in Fen and Reed, they'll feed both Beef and Bacon.'

" ' Away with boats and rudder, farewell both boots and skatches,
No need of one nor th'other, men now make better matches ;
Stilt-makers all and tanners shall complain of this disaster ;
For they will make each muddy lake for Essex calves a pasture.'

" Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, the celebrated Dutch engineer, who had
settled in this country, and had already done good work, suffered so severely
from popular prejudice, that not only was his scheme for draining the Bedford
Level rejected, in consequence of his being an ' alien,' but also at Dagenham,
where, having in 1621 repaired the banks which hitherto had been too weak

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 107

to protect the level against the violence of the tide, the people refused to
pay the tax levied for his remuneration, whereupon the King assigned him
certain lands by way of recompense, which, let us hope, he got. But even
worse fortune befell the worthy Knight in 1642, at Hatfield Chase. There,
previously to his draining operations, the country was full of wandering
beggars, but, afterwards, from the demand for agricultural labour, wages
were doubled. Nevertheless, after Vermuyden and his partners had entered
upon possession of what belonged to them by agreement, and had built a
town called Sandtoft, ' with a church therein ; jDlacing a minister there ;
whereunto resorted above two hundred families of French and Walloon
Protestants (fled out of their native country for fear of the Inquisition, only
to enjoy the free exercise of their religion here),' the inhabitants, claiming
common right, and under pretence of raising an army for the protection of
the King, ' broke down the fences and inclosures of four thousand acres,
destroyed all the corn growing, and demolished the houses built thereon.'
After this they broke other banks, watching the breaches with muskets in
their hands, to prevent their being repaired, and forcing the inhabitants ' to
swim away like ducks.'* This lawless destruction continued till seventy-
four thousand acres of land were under water. Fuller f thus refers to the
discontent of the Fen people : ' Tell them of the great benefit to the
publick, because where a Pike or Duck fed formerly, now a Bullock or
Sheep is fattened ; they will be ready to return that if they be takc7i in
taking that Bullock or Sheep, the rich owner indicteth them for felons ;
whereas that Pike or Duck were their own goods, only for their pains of
catching them. So impossible is it that the best project, though perfectly
performed, should please all interests and affections.' In fact, they would
exclaim with Hudibras :

* " This incident suggested to Harriet Martineau the subject of the charming little story,
the first of the ' Playfellow ' series, entitled the ' Settlers at Home.' Long after the Fens
were drained, the ' Redfurns ' were still represented by the hardy race of men who took ui)
their abode on some lonely marsh on the shores of the Wash, often in a hut-boat lying high
and dry in some creek, and gained a precarious living by their nets and guns ; or by the men
who squatted down in the midst of the ' Broads,' as graphically described by the Rev.
Richard Lubbock in the oft-quoted passage (pp. 129, 130, second edition) of the ' Fauna of
Norfolk.' These are even now represented by the shore-gunners of the Wash, and the eel-
setters and fishermen of the Norfolk Broads."

t "Worthies of England," 4to Edit. (181 1) vol. i. p. 152.

io8 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

" ' The law condemns the man or woman

Who steals the goose from off the common,

But lets the greater felon loose,

\Vho steals the common from the goose ! '

" Dugdale very ingeniously argues, with regard to the dreaded scarcity
of fowl, that when the country is drained there will be an increase in the
number of ' rivers, chanels, and meres,' which form the principal resorts of
the fowl, and their numbers will probably be augmented in consequence ;
also, that the fish and fowl will be more easily taken within the restricted
bounds than in the more open water ; added to which, the decoys planted
on the drained lands would capture a much larger number of fowl than
could be secured by any other means formerly used. We fear that all these
arguments would be insufficient to convince the hardy Fen-men, who lived
by their nets and guns, that the latter state of things was preferable to the
former.

" The chief feature in the animal life found in the Fens in days gone
by must have been the great abundance of birds and fishes. When
William the Conqueror lay with an army before the Isle of Ely, vainly
attempting to force the remnant of the English who had taken refuge in
this their last stronghold to surrender, it is said, that, but one only of his
soldiers succeeded in entering the isle alive. This man, Beda by name,
was taken prisoner by Hereward's men, and after being treated with kind-
ness was allowed to return to the King's camp. The account he gives to
William of what he witnessed in the Isle of Ely, of the strength of its
position, ' compassed about with huge waters and fens, as it were with a
strong wall,' of the multitude of wild animals both in the woods and near
the Fens : as also of fish found in the waters, and fowl which are bred there,
or visit the Fens, especially in the winter season, must have given the
King but slight hopes of reducing the brave defenders of this natural
stronghold by starvation.* Dugdale, also, quoting the register of Ramsey
Abbey, after expatiating upon its strong insular position, and the beauty of
its surroundings, says its waters, especially Ramsey Mere, abound with
Eels and ' Pikes of an extraordinary bigness,' ' and although both fishers
and fowlers cease neither day nor night to haunt it, yet is there always of
fish and fowl no little store.' At a much later period, early in the seven-

* "Liber Elicnsis" (ed. Stewart), pp. 231, 232.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 109

teenth century, Drayton, in Song 25 of the ' Polyolbion ' (Holland's
Oration), in a most interesting passage enumerates the Birds found in the
Fens ; and Fuller* thus writes of the quality and excellence of the
Lincolnshire fowl : —

"In the middle of the eighteenth century, the same state of things ob-
tained in the East Fen, and is graphically described in a most interesting
passage, though too long to quote, in Gough's edition of Camden's ' Bri-
tannia.'t The same author, speaking of Crowland, also tells us that, 'their
greatest gain is from the fish and wild ducks that they catch, where are so
many, that in August they can drive into a single net three thousand ducks ;
they call these pools their corn-fields ; for there is no corn grown within
five miles.'

" The population of such a unique country, as might be expected, was
sui generis ; and the life of a Fen-man, could it be written from a Natural-
ist's point of view, would, indeed, be interesting ; but the material is now,
alas, of the scantiest. There is a curious poem extant — for a sight of

* Op. cit. vol. 11. p. 2.

" ' Lincolnshire may be termed the Aviary of England, for the Wild-foiih therein ;
remarkable for their,

1. Plenty ; so that sometimes, In the month of August, three thousand Mallards,

with Birds of that kind, have been caught at one draught, so large and strong
their nets ; and the like must be the Reader's belief.

2. Variety ; no man (no not Gesmar himself) being able to give them their proper

names, except one had gotten Adam's Nomenclator of Creatures.

3. Delidousnesse ; Wild-foule being more dainty and digestable than Tame of the

same kind, as spending their grossie humours with their activity and constant
motion in flying.'

t Vol. ii. (1806) pp. 380, 381. "The East Fen is now drained and cultivated; but
there still remains a tract of country, though not in Fenland, but in Norfolk, which greatly
resembles the East Fen of past days in that happy admixture of water and dry land, inter-
persed with reed beds and dwarf marsh trees and shrubs, so acceptable as breeding quarters
for Wild-fowl. Though apparently unknown to the old writers on such matters, the Norfolk
Broads were as rich, if not richer, in marsh and water-breeding birds than any of the localities
they love to expatiate upon, and they long remained unchanged, after the more famous resorts
were drained and deserted by their former inhabitants. Although we have lost the Godwit,
Ruff, Black Tern, Avocet, and Bittern, still, in the present year, eight out of the nine species
of Duck which are known to breed in England are still nesting in this county, and seven of
these may be found together in one favoured locality of no very considerable extent. Happily
they arc most rigorously protected ; but I question whether any other district in England of
like extent can claim as many species of this family as regular breeders."

no THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

which I am indebted to Mr. J. J. Cohnan, M.P. — purporting to be the
' Life of a Fen-man ;' but, although it gives some interesting glimpses of
the Fen-man's mode of life and occupation one hundred years ago, the
author utterly fails to avail himself of the fine opportunity which offered of
immortalizins: himself.*

" In the introduction, the author thus describes the isolated condition of
the dwellers in the Fens : — ' The Fen is a vast plain intersected with various
natural and artificial rivers, defended with high banks to prevent the over-
flowing of the high country floods in their passage to the sea. On these
banks the inhabitants, for their better security, erect their miserable dwell-
ings, at a great distance sometimes from each other, and very remote from
their parish churches, to which they rarely resort, unless to a wedding, a
christening, or a burying. So that they seem to be cut off from the com-
munity, and are deprived of almost every advantage of social life. It is a
rare thing to meet with a village of twenty houses together, unless in their
towns, from which they are many miles distant. They are therefore ex-
cluded every opportunity of the very lowest education, and few of them
arrive at a higher erudition than to be able to read and write.' The
life of hardship and privation endured by this
" ' Humble race of men,

Alike amphibious, by kind Nature's hand

Form'd to exist on water or on land,'

is thus described by our Fen-Parson in one of his prose notes : — ' The life

of a North American savage is vastly preferable to his. They both live by

their gun. The one traverses the woods and mountains in search of his

prey, and retires at night to a warm cabin, with plenty of fuel to warm the

rigour of the climate ; the other in a little skiff which a puff of wind would

overset, paddles about the water till the evening, and comes home wet and

cold to his miserable hut, and lies scarcely dry and warm all night in his

bed. The American Indian also bears a near resemblance to our hero ; as

a fisherman he has his canoe, and ventures upon the shoals in search of

fish ; he has also his favourite dog to attend him, and hoj^es that as he is

his constant and faithful companion in this life, he will be in another.

" ' But thinks, admitted to that equal sky,
His faithful dog shall bear him company.'

* ' The Inundation ; or The Life of a Fen-man : A Poem. By a Fen-Parson.' (Lynn :
W. W'hittingham.) 20 pp. 410. No date, but published about the year 1771."

mSTORY OF DECOYS. in

The Parson's poetic description of the Fen-man's daily life is not quite so
gloomy as his prose ; but it will be seen that a help-meet is here introduced
— perhaps the former description applied only to a bachelor : —

" ' He rises early, and he late takes rest,
And sails intrepid o'er the wat'ry waste ;
Waits the return of shot-seal* on the lake,
And listens to the wild-fowl's distant quack.
At dusk steers homeward with a plenteous freight,
The crazy vessel groans beneath the weight.
A tidy house-wife waits his coming home,
Gets dry apparel, and cleans up her room.
Prepares a cheerful fire, brings out her hoard,
And spreads a homely plenty o'er his board.
To vend her fowl the dearest mart she tries,
And with the profit household wants supplies.
The Capital's ev'n feasted with her store,
And London carriers whistle at his door.'

And the cottage, brightened by the presence of a thrifty house-wife, is thus
described : —

" ' His little hut, which by the bank-side stood,

Cover'd with coat of sedge, and walls of mud,

Where each domestic use one room supplies.

His victuals here he dresses, here he lies :

A little lattice to let in the day,

With half-extinguished light and glimm'ring ray.'

In a note to the line, ' London carriers whistle at his door,' the author in-
dulges in some remarks upon ' the luxury of the Metropolis,' which arc
curiously characteristic of the times. He says : ' There are a set of people
call'd Kedgers, who, zu/icn the country can be travelled over [.'], call regularly
at the Fen-men's houses to buy their fish and fowl at a vast price, and send
them up to town, by the butter-boats, or sell them to the higlers that keep
London market. But what is that to the extravagance of a Norwich
weaver, who sends a special messenger from thence to Caxton,f which is
near one hundred miles, to meet the north country carrier with fresh salmon.'
And again : ' It is almost incredible to believe, what great advantage the
skilful F"en-man makes of his winter shooting in a drowned year, and in the

* " Flight-time."

t " Caxton is a small market-town in Cambridgeshire, and is situated at the point where
the road from Norwich via Newmarket and Cambridge first strikes the great north road,
about twelve miles north of Royston."

112 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

following summer of his fish. By the overflowing of Whittlesea Mere, and
other great reservoirs of fish, the whole country is plentifully stocked with
them.' After an overflow of Whittlesea Mere, when the waters retired,
they were said to have ' folded ;' and at that time the dykes and rivers
would be found full of fish, which had escaped from the Mere during the
flood, and afforded ample harvests to the Fen-men. Another very consi-
derable source of profit was the Smelt-fishery. Large quantities of these
fish were taken, then as now, when they came up the rivers to spawn, and
a single share in this fishery was known to amount to fifty pounds.

" Our Fen-Parson refers to the malarious emanations from the sodden
Fen, and draws a loathsome picture of the ' Genius ' of the place, ' pale
Febris,' as 'she shiver'd o'er a cow-dung* smoky fire,' and laments the
absence of health, even when plenty smiles the fairest : —

" ' The moory soil, the wat'ry atmosphere,
With damp, unhealthy moisture fills the air.
Thick, stinking fogs, and noxious vapours fall,
Agues and coughs are epidemical.'

It is probable that malarious fevers would be more prevalent during the
drainage of the Fens than when they were still more or less in a state of
nature ; and the writer has vivid recollections of his sufferings as a boy
from ' intermittent ' fever, which was at that time prevalent at Lynn, it
may be in consequence of the cutting of the Eau brink canal, which led
the course of the river Ouse direct from St. Germains to the town of Lynn,
leaving the old and sinuous course of the river to wharp up. The cut,
which was opened in 1821, had been completed twenty years ; but as
Dr. Macleanf has shown, marshes are not, as a rule, dangerous, when
abundantly covered with water ; and that it is only when the water's level
is lowered, and the saturated soil is exposed to the drying influence of
a high temperature, and the direct rays of the sun, that the poison is
evolved in abundance ; the circumstances were, therefore, at that time,
most favourable for the dissemination of the malarial germs, not only the
freshly-turned soil and margins of the cut being exposed, but also the
old bed of the river which took many years to drain and bring into cultiva-
tion. This state of things led to a most pernicious abuse of opiates,

* In this treeless country cow-dung was carefully dried and stored for winter fuel.
t " Quain's ' Dictionary of Medicine :' article ' Malaria.' "

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 113

laudanum being consumed by the Fen-folks, by whom it was at first used
as a prophylactic against malarious fever, or as an antidote to the
periodic attacks — in quantities altogether astonishing. Happily, with
the disappearance of the disease, the abuse of the remedy has
gradually ceased ; and at the present time, although, doubtless, there are
many confirmed elderly laudanum-drinkers in Fen-land, it is a practice
which is fast dying out, and will, it is to be hoped, cease with the present
generation of elders. Ague was familiarly known as the ' Bailiff of
Marshland.'

"A very eccentric character, named William Hall — who loved to style
himself ' Antiquarian Hall,' 'Will Will-be-So,' or 'Fen Bill Hall'—
died at Lynn in 1825. Hall was born on June ist (old style), 1748, at
Willow Booth, then a small island ' of but few perches ' in extent, in the
Lincolnshire Fens, near Heckington Ease, in the parish of South Kyme.
He has left behind him some doggerel verses, now very scarce, entitled 'A
Chain of Incidents relating to the state of the Fens from earliest accounts
to the present time. I^rinted by W. G. Whittingham of Lynn in 181 2 for
the author, and sold by him only. Price one shilling.' This ' sketch of
local history ' only reached its third number, and the only copy I have seen
is in the library of the British Museum. It is a curious mixture of odds
and ends in prose and doggerel verse, but is interesting from the refer-
ences it contains to the state of the Fens in the author's early days, and
the occasional glimpses it reveals of the life led by the ' Fen slodgers '
more than one hundred years ago.

" In his ' prefatory salutation ' he thus addresses his reader (p. 3) : —

" ' All hail ! esteem'd aquatic friend,
Since both our aims are for one end ;
To tell those tliat's not seen much water,
In days of yore what was the matter ;
Announce to th' public we are penmen,
By narrating the lives of Fcn-mcn.'

" Of the place of his birth he speaks as follows : —

" ' Kyme God knows,
Where no corn grows,
Nothing but a little hay,

And the water comes,
And takes it all away.

114 i'l^i'- BOOK OJ- DUCK DECOYS.

Where Ducks by scores travers'd the Fens,
Coots, Didappers, Rails, Water-hens,
Combin'd with eggs, to charge our pot.
Two furlongs circle round the spot.*
Fowl, fish, all kinds the table grac'd,
All caught within the self same space ;
As time revolv'd, in season fed.
The surplus found us salt and bread ;
Your humble servant, now your penman,
I.iv'd thus a simple, full-bred Fen-man.'

" With regard to his imperfect education, he begs the reader's indul-
gence, the first twenty years of his Hfe having been passed five miles from
churcli or school, amid conversation of the ' lowest, vulgar kind,' with only
six months' schooling : —

" ' Pray, sirs, consider, had you been

Bred where whole winters nothing's seen
But naked floods for miles and miles,
Except a boat the eye beguiles ;
Or Coots, in clouds, by Buzzards teaz'd.
Your ear with seeming thunder seiz'd
From rais'd decoy,— there Ducks on flight.
By tens of thousands darken light ;

*****
Who liv'd for months on stage of planks,
'Midst Captain Flood's most swelling pranks.
Five miles from any food to have.
Yea often risk'd a watery grave.'

" In a foot-note at page 6 he thus explains the line, ' From rais'd
decoy,' &c. : — ' This was the six hundred Decoy ; the pond, about three
acres of water, well sheltered and distant from disturbance, became so great
an asylum, that I have heard divers decoymen say it was apparently impos-
sible for an egg to be dropped without hitting oncf Our house was a full
mile parallel distance ; and when they were disturbed, any stranger would
suppose it distant thunder. It is the author's intention to devote a part of
the work under the life of a low Fen-man, where he will descant more

* " Referring to Willow Booth, the place of his birth. Hall appends the following note :
— 'Then an island of but few perches. The author was the last person living who was born
upon it." "

t This was the one in South Kyme Fen, hereinafter mentioned under Lincolnshire
Decoys.

HISTORY 01' DECOYS. 115

largely upon Decoys, having never seen but one rational writer on the sub-
ject, and he has manifested that he knows nothing of the theory.' The
author, unfortunately, never carried out his intention of writing ' rationally '
upon decoying, with a knowledge of the practice added ; and decoys them-
selves had almost become things of the past before any accurate description
of their construction and working was written.

" Such was the early life and training of this eccentric individual. Of
his summer occupation, when following his calling, the following quotation
from page i i will give some idea : —

" ' Born in a coy, and bred in a mill,

Taught water to grind, and Ducks for to kill ;

Seeing Coots clapper claw, lying flat on their backs,*

Standing upright to row, and crowning of jacks ;

Laying spring nets for to catch Ruff and Reeve,

Stretched out in a boat with a shade to deceive.

Taking (jeese. Ducks, and Coots, with nets upon stakes.

Riding in a calm day for to catch moulted Drakes ;

Gathering eggs to the top of one's wish,

Cutting tracks in the flags for decoying of fish.

Seeing Kudds run in shoals 'bout the side of Gill sike,

Being dreadfully venom'd by rolling in slake ;

Looking hingles, and sprinks, trammels, hoop-nets, and learnings,

Few persons I think can explain all their meanings.'

" The above is a most interesting catalogue ot the numerous out-door
occupations of a Fen-man, and of the modes and engines formerly used in
fishing and fowling. It is impossible here even to enumerate, much more
to describe in detail, the various forms of nets and snares employed at the
time Hall wrote, or the ingenious resources made use of lor approaching
fowl, as well as the multifarous nets and devices for capturing the fish which
so abounded. Of his winter occupation Hall says nothing ; but, doubtless,
reed-cutting occupied much of his time ; his domestic Geese also required

* " This, doubtless, alludes to the defensive attitude assumed by the Coot when fighting
or hard pressed. Gill sike, mentioned lower down, is the name of an old drain in the Hol-
land Fen ; and slake is, probably, an accumulation of stagnant mud. In a Commission of
Sewers, 1616-17, slake is more than once referred to as a stoppage of the water (Wells' 'Bed-
ford Level,' vol. ii. p. 47, &c.). As to the meaning of ' crowning of jacks,' I can only venture
a suggestion, that it was most likely some method of capturing Pike, pn bably by striking them
on the head with the 'quanl-polc ' used for propelling the boat, when they lay in shallow water
at spawning time.'

ii6

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

his attention, and these, with the Duck decoy, would provide ample employ-
ment for the shortened days. During frosty weather, constant attention
was required at night, after the decoy had ' risen,' to break and remove the
ice, thus keeping the water open as an attraction for the Ducks, without
which they would desert the decoy in hard weather. Subsequently Hall
set up as a cow-leech, and ended his days as a dealer in second-hand books
at Lynn, his 'Antiquarian Library' being situated near the 'Globe Hotel,'
in a street leading from the Tuesday Market-place to Common Staithe
Quay."

The Author makes no apology for this dissertation on Fens and Fen-
men, as both are so closely connected with the subject of Decoys.

Decoys in use.

Ashby.

Decoys not in tisc.

Bourne.

Deeping Fen (5).

Cowbit.

Fleet.

Dowsby.

Aslackby.

Millyard Farm.

Sempringham Fen (3).

South Kyme.

North Kyme.

Timberland.

Nocton Hall.

Friskney (5).

Hagnaby.

Wainfleet St. Mary's (2).

Wrangle (3).

Leake.

Skellingthorpe.

Burton Hall.

South Carlton.

South Kelsey.

Farlsthorpe.

Broughton.

Keadby.

Great Cotes.

Ashby Decoy, (i\ miles WNW. of Brigg, in the parish of Bottesford,
4! miles S\V. of Frodingham Station, on the Grimsby and Doncaster

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 117

branch of the M. S. and L. Railway, and 2 miles from the rii^dit bank of
the River Trent at Althorpe, to the left of the road from Ashby to Burring-
ham Ferry. Here may be seen the most successful existing Decoy in the
kingdom, and the only one now worked in Lincolnshire. It was lately
owned by Captain Healy (whose father, Mr. Henry Healy, constructed it),
but upon his death in i86cS it was offered for sale, and was purchased by
old Mr. Tacey (lately deceased), the father of Mr. George Tacey, who now
owns it. The extent of the pool is about 2 acres, and it has four pipes.
Captain Healy had an accurate account kept of each day's capture from
its first winter in 1833-34 down to that of 1867-68, and the results, as
arranged in the subjoined table, which was published in the sporting
papers at the time the Decoy was offered for sale on the death of its
owner, will give some notion of the immense number of fowl annually
taken, as well as the proportions in which the various species are found
associated together. From this it will be seen that the captures have
averaged 2,741 head of wildfowl per annum, and in the course of five-and-
thirty years there has not been such a decrease in numbers as from various
causes might have been expected. Mr. J. Cordeaux, of Great Cotes, Ulceby,
when visiting this Decoy in December, 1882, was informed by Mr. Tacey
that a few years ago he had taken 6,321 Ducks and Teal, and of these
2,300 were captured in 31 days, or in just a month's time. The average
take for the last dozen years in the Ashby Decoy has been nearly 3,000
fowl in a season. The largest number of fowl taken at Ashby during
recent years at a single drive was 113 Wild-duck. The same day 248
Ducks were caught in all.

Stonehurst, in his " Hist, and Topog. of the Isle of Axholme, 1839,"
states (pp. 62-70), that a covey of Partridges was once taken in a pipe
here.

The Decoy is well kept and managed, as is likely to be the case, for
its tenant states it pays him better than the farm attached to it.

Birds taken in the Ashby Decoy from 1833-34 to 1867-68: — See
table on following page.

Ii8

THE BOOK OF DLXK DECOYS.

An Account of Wildfowl killed at the Ashby Decoy from September, 1833, to

April, 1868.

Ducks.

Teal.

Widgeon.

Shoveller.

rintail.

Gadwall.

Total.
3227

1833-34

1S84

1232

102

9

1834-35

4287

i860

140

16

54

•

6357

1835-36

959

788

38

16

7

1808

1836-37

768

326

24

14

1132

1837-38

1511

5°9

47

1 1

4

*

2082

1838-39

758

791

21

2

4

1576

1839-40

2014

2002

24

21

74

4205

1840-41

2584

993

126

13

8

3724

1841-42

1666

908

28

5

6

2613

1842-43

1094

2077

49

6

2

3228

1843-44

1004

1036

88

3

3

2135

1844-45

1298

1181

65

I

-»

2547

1845-46

1022

1321

39

3

5

2390

IS46-47

1428

905

43

5

4

2486

1847-48

1212

883

36

I

2133

1848-49

1740

1971

53

9

5

3778

1849-50

1145

956

27

2

2131

1850-51

380

853

34

3

1270

1851-52

63-^

1003

72

I

2

1711

1852-53

2682

3279

67

2

26

3

6059

1853-54

2425

1605

75

I

3

2

4111

1854-55

1298

1221

89

3

2

3

2616

1855-56

1004

781

33

4

4

1836

1856-57

763

771

27

1 1

I

2

1575

1857-58

634

1566

1 10

24

1 1

3

2348

1858-59

715

1208

82

4

4

2023

1859-60

734

1204

83

7

I

2029

1860-61

1121

2365

23

34

3

I

3747

1861-62

1605

1 145

54

II

6

I

2822

1862-63

843

1481

25

14

I

2464

1863-64

2326

1842

82

20

6

I

4277

1864-65

1663

1205

85 1

5

I

2959

1865-66

282

637

17

936

1866-67

1891

1502

66

4

12

3475

1867-68

1292

1161

75

'5

->

2545

From this table we find that the Decoy has accounted for nearly
100,000 wildfowl in thirtv-five seasons, consistino- of —

Wild-duck
Teal
Wigeon .

48,664 I Shoveller
44,568 Pintail

2,019 ! Gadwall

Grand Total

285

278

22

95.836

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

119

The largest number of fowl taken in a single season was in 1S34-35,
when 6,357 are recorded as captured, since which date over 6,000 fowl
have twice been caught in two different seasons.

Beginning in the south of the county, a line drawn from Whittle-
sey in Cambridgeshire to Sleaford in Lincolnshire intersects numerous
ancient and disused Decoys. The first two met with are those of
Whittlesey and Borough Fen. The former in Cambridge, and the latter
in North Hants, will be found under their respective counties. Crossing,
however, from Nort Hants into Lincoln, we at once find a group of six old

Decoys close together, and all within 6\ miles E. of Bourne, and just half-
way between the latter town and Spalding. They are as follows : —

Bourne Decoy, in Bourne Fen, halfway between Twenty Station (on
the Bourne and Spalding Railway) and the River Glen, and 4^ miles E. of
Bourne.

Deeping Fen Decoys, of which there -w&rejive on the northern edge of
Deeping Fen, between Spalding Common and Bourne Fen, and between
the River Glen and the North Drove Drain. The four northernmost of
these are within a space of a mile long, and are within 6 miles E. of Bourne.

I20 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Coivbit Decoy, in Cowbit Fen, to the east of the latter. The Decoy
is a mile N. of Cowbit, and 2 miles S. of Spalding, on the E. side of the
River Welland.

Fleet Decoy, in Fleet Fen, E. of the last. The Decoy was situated
6 miles S. of Holbeach, on the verge of the S. bank of the South Holland
drain, 3 miles NE. of the hamlet of Whaplode Drove Chapel, as well as
2 miles NNW. of Sutton St. Edmunds. This Decoy was destroyed by
the cutting of the South Holland drain in 1793.

Travelling further north towards Sleaford, we soon get to another
group of si.\ old Decoys, all within 3 miles NE. of Dowsby, the most
southern of which is the famous Dowsby Decoy.

Dowsby, near Falkingham, 6 miles NE. from Bourne. — It is stated by
Daniel in his ' Rural Sports ' (Suppl. p. 623), that in one season there
were caught in the Decoy here 1,075 dozen and eight wild ducks (12,908
birds), which on an average fetched 7s. per dozen.

The Decoy has long ceased to be worked.

This Decoy belonged to the Rev. Thomas Foster of Ryhall, grand-
father of the present owner, who has kindly supplied the appended copy
of an original document, recounting the birds taken in the season 1765-6,
with details of the catches for October and March : —

Wildfowl caught in Dowsby Decoy from October 1, 1765, to

April i, 1766.

£ s. d.

13,008 birds, sold to Mrs. Gibbs of Langtoft, at 7s. a dozen 379 8 o
1 1 dozen (132 birds) sold at Decoy . ... ■■• ... 5810

20 couples sold to Mr. Dodd ... ... ... ... 1 10 o

-^386 6 10

Total number of fowl sold, therefore, was 13,180.

As Teal and Wigeon were counted as 18 to the dozen, the grand total
for the year would represent at least iS,ooo fowl.

In this season ( I 765-66) there were taken in the Decoy, in the months
of October and March, as follows, which is, it need scarce be pointed out,
for these months wonderfully good, even for those days of abundance : —

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

\z\

Fowl.

Fowl.

October i

78

March

'4

•• 152

8

119

7

.. 158

,, 12

I 10

II

.. 180

i6

III

13

.. 218

19

I 10

18

.. 248

23

131

21

.. 158

26

108

25

... 240

30

176

28

... 114

943

1,468

The site of the Dowsby Decoy is a level field, and no traces of it
remain.

Within a mile NE. of the latter is the Aslackby Decoy. A mile still
farther north 3.vQfo2tr other pools close together, the most eastern of which
is the Millyard Farm Decoy ; these four Decoys all being close to the N.
bank of the Sempringham drain in Sempringham Fen, and within 3 miles
E. of Billing-borough.

South Kyme Decoy. — Still travelling north, we reach the above in
South Kyme Fen, close to the W. bank of Holland Dyke, 2 miles SE. of
South Kyme, and 6 miles SSW. of Tattershall. This is the " 600 Decoy "
alluded to on page 114, and which derived its name from a farm called the
" 600," that being the number of acres connected with the latter.

North Kyme Decoy, 3 miles NNW. of the last, 2 miles SSE. of
Billinghay, and i^\ miles SW. of Tattershall. This Decoy was placed at
the W. corner of Drury Dyke, in North Kyme Fen.

Timberland Decoy, in Timberland Fen, 3-| miles E. of Timberland,
close to the W. bank of the Dales Head Dyke.

Nocton Hall Decoy, on the estate of the Marquis of Ripon, in Nocton
Fen. The Decoy is 2^ miles SE. of Potter Hanworth, and 8 miles SE.
of Lincoln. The pond is about 2 acres, had five pipes, and is placed in
an ash wood of 14 acres. Seventy to eighty years ago immense numbers
of Duck were taken here, and even now as many as a couple of hundred
will collect on the water.

Taking a line eastward to the coast at Wainfleet, we come to a wcl!-

R

122 TIIR BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

known district for Decoys, and where, before the East and West Fens were
drained in the early years of the present century (1809), no less than
a dozen flourishing Decoys existed, and of which little trace now remains,
save one. This one is the oft-spoken-of Friskney Decoy, and the trustees
of the Booth estate at Friskney have recently purchased it in order to pre-
serve it, as far as possible, in its original state, as a memento of past times.

Friskney Neiv Decoy, 4 miles SW. of Wainfleet, in the parish of
Friskney, and 3 miles from Wainfleet Railway Station. It was once one
of the best in the count)-, but has not been worked since 1878.

This Decoy was in full work with six nets up to 1855, under John
Skelton, who succeeded Henry Skelton {see page 13). The average take
during the seasons previous to this date was 3 to 4 dozen birds a day, and
the best day's work was 300 to 400 fowl. In one year Skelton is once
said to have sold ^700 worth of birds. But as the land around became
cultivated, the Decoy declined, and so two nets were discontinued from
1855 to 1S60; after the latter date only three nets were used. In i860
John Skelton left the Decoy, and it was then worked by Mr. Crowe, whose
best take was 85 ducks in one day, and but 1,100 in one season (1866).

It appears, from White's " Directory," that in 1809 an Act was ob-
tained for embanking, enclosing, and draining the marshes around Friskney,
which were then generally flooded for six months in the year, and had
several extensive Decoys, in which upwards of 30,000 head of Duck, Teal,
and Wigeon have been taken in one season, and sent to the London
market. All but one of these Decoys (Friskney) have given place to
fertile corn-fields.

The pool now being described consisted of an acre and a half, and
was surrounded by 14 acres of wood. It had formerly, as stated, six
pipes, but latterly only three, and is now no longer in working order;
though the outline of the pond is still plainly visible, some of the old
hoops and stakes being still to be seen.

This Decoy was the original home of old George Skelton (senior), and
it was from here he emigrated to Norfolk, and taught the Norfolk Decoy-
men how to work and make Decoys of moderate size, in opposition to their
previous habit of attaching Decoy pipes to large broads and meres. How
well he succeeded is elsewhere shown [Sec U^iiitcrtcn, Norfolk, and p. 11.)

When the Friskney Marshes were drained at the beginning of the

7h raCf- ra^y '^VP

Plan of Decoy with 6 Pipes,

Scale- 120 F'^ to an Inch.

_2 '"° 2oortet.

100 50

I M I— l-l I— '

f^^:?^*:SvS^

Gi'^,'

m.

■'!».SC

^

:<«?

'^

S&^ — Water
(Jrg^Ti'— Land

FRISKNEY.

IjrawiL by ,'\;*lvi-

VmceiMBrooke Day & Son, litho

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 123

present century, this Decoy, with its fellows in the adjoining; parishes,
suffered considerably.

Doubtless this fact prompted the removal of the old Decoyman Skel-
ton and his family to Norfolk, as a more suitable county in which to pursue
his avocation of catching wildfowl.

When old George Skelton left Friskney in 1807, his sons William
and Henry worked the Decoy till 1845. On William, at that date, moving
to Combe Abbey, Lord Craven's seat in Warwickshire, his son, John
Skelton, managed it for Captain Hopkins, and, as stated, continued to do
so till i860.

In Oldfield's " History of Wainfleet," 1829, p. 180, a capital descrip-
tion is given of the Decoys at Friskney, and in the adjoining parish of
Wainfleet St. Mary's. It runs as follows : —

" Great as are the advantages arising from the enclosure and drainage,
they have in some measure been counterbalanced, as it respects the parish
of Wainfleet, by the loss sustained by the Decoys, and the almost total
failure of the cranberry harvest. Friskney was at one time noted for the
number and magnitude of its Decoys, and for the immense number of wild-
fowl caught in them. London was at that period principally supplied with
Duck, Wigeon, and Teal from the Decoys in this neighbourhood.

" In one season, a few winters prior to the enclosure of the Fens (1809)
ten Decoys, five of which were in the parish of Wainfleet, furnished the
astonishing number of 31,200 wildfowl for the markets of the Metropolis.
Since the enclosure, the number caught has been comparatively small.
Only three Decoys remain, two in Friskney (the other Decoy in Friskney
was the property of the Ward family), and one in Wainfleet St. Mary's,
and the Decoymen consider 5,000 birds as a good season."

In this parish, besides the above, there were formerly y6>?/r Decoys
within a very short distance of each other, owned by T. and J. Williams,
Richard Skelton, and Thomas Dodds (two), respectively, of which the one
above described, and owned by George Skelton, was the most northern.

Hagnaby. — In this parish there was one Decoy, owned by Thomas
Dowse.

Wainfleet St. Marys, a parish between Hagnaby and Friskney, in
which two Decoys existed, owned by William Bell and Daniel Maidens.

Wrangle, the next parish, and south-west of Friskney, in which

124 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

three Decoys were worked, one by Richard Alford and two by T. and J.
WilHams respectively. The pool nearest the sea was known as the " shore"
or " Old Tom Williams's " Decoy, as it was worked for him for many years
before he removed to the Lakenheath Decoy in Suffolk, and where he is
said to have died at the age of 109.

Leake, the parish next to Wrangle on its west side. There was a pool
here which was out of use at the end of the last century, and is marked on
the drainage maps of that date as " an ancient Decoy."

The Decoys in the four last-named parishes ceased to exist early in
the present century.

All the Decoys now described in this county are south of Lincoln.
Those to follow are north of that town.

Skcllingthorpe Decoy, 2 miles W. of Lincoln and a mile SSE. of
Skellingthorpe, between the catchwater drain and the main drain. This
Decoy was a square pond with four pipes, and the form of it can easily
be discerned, though it has not been in use for 40 years.

Burton Hail Decoy.- — The residence of Lord Monson, a mile SSW.
of South Carlton and 3 miles NW. of Lincoln, on the E. side of the main
and catchwater drains. The owner informs me that the site of the Decoy
has been ploughed up, and that no traces of it now remain.

South Carlton Decoy, also on the property of Lord Monson, and of
which traces are still to be seen. This pool is on the W. bank of the
catchwater and main drains, is a mile W. of the Burton Hall Decoy, and
3^ miles NW. of Lincoln.

Neither of these Decoys have been in use since the beginning of the
present century.

South Kclsey Decoy, i\ miles NW. of South Kelsey, on the southern
side of Kelsey Carrs, near the N. bank of the Caistor Canal. Long dis-
used.

Farlsthorpe Decoy, 2 miles SE. of Alford, in Farlsthorpe Fen, half-
way between Alford and Mumby.

All these old Lincolnshire Decoys were, with a few exceptions, de-
stroyed by the Drainage Acts of 1795, 1807, and 1809, the Skellingthorpe
one holding out the longest, being worked till 1840. One by one their
avocation was destroyed, the means of sustenance being taken from
them as the fens in their inmost recesses became cultivated. For now

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 125

the very outline of most of these ancient Decoys is gone, and luxuriant
grain-fields flourish where previously a wilderness of reeds and stagnant,
bird-haunted waters stretched far and near.

Broughton Decoy, 3 miles NNW. of Glamford Briggs, in Broughton
Carrs, on the W. bank of the Wear Dyke, near the River Trent. Dis-
used for 45 years, as stated by the old Decoyman who last worked it,
and who is now living. Appleby village is 3^ miles SE. of this pool.

The remains of the Broughton Decoy are plainly visible. It was
2 acres in size, and had six pipes, the whole enclosure being 10 acres.

Keadby Decoy, 2\ miles SE. of Crowle, \\ WNW. of Keadby, a village
on the left bank of the Trent. The Decoy is situate \ a mile N. of
the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. Little trace of it now remains, as the
waste ground on which it was then placed is now drained and cultivated.

Great Cotes Decoy, 2^ miles WSW. of Grimsby, close to Laceby
Beck, a stream which divides Great from Little Cotes, and near Towns
Holtwood Plantation, formerly known as Wyber's. The pool has vanished
under cultivation, and has not been in use for 80 years.

126 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF DECOYS— (^w///////6v/).

CHAPTER IX.

Decoys in the County of Middlesex.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I St. James's Park.

Decoy in St. James's Park.

Though difficult to realize at the present day, yet formerly a Decoy
existed in St. James's Park. It was situated at the west end of the lake,
which at that time was straight and formal, and called " The Canal." The
Decoy was placed in an island, then known as the Duck Island. That
this Decoy was not a trap Decoy, but a Pipe Decoy, as they are now
fashioned, there can be no doubt, on taking into consideration the material
used in its construction. It was made by Charles II., who was devoted to
wildfowl and other birds, and who spent all his spare hours in feeding his
ducks and fondling his spaniels, of which latter he had so many about his
court that they were in contemporary journals written down a nuisance.
Evelyn writes, March 29, 1665 : " His Majesty is now finishing the Decoy
in the Park."

The following, which I derive from Cunningham's " Handbook of Lon-
don," vol. ii. p. 434, gives full details of the cost of making this Decoy : —

To Edward Maybanke and Thomas Greene for digging the Decoy,
and carrying out the earth and levelling the ground about the said Decoy,

^128 2S. I \\di.

To Edward Storey, keeper of the King's birds, for wyer and other
things used about the Decoy, and for 100 baskets for the ducks, ^8 9s.

To S'. George Waterman for several netts for the Decoy, ^15 3s.

To James Rimes for plants and 400 bolts of reeds for the use of the
Decoy, ^15 1 is. 8d.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 127

To Edward Storey for money paid to sundry workmen for setting the
reeds and poles round the Decoy and wiring it, £c) los.

To Sydrach Hilcus for ye contriving of the Decoy in St. James Park,

For oatmeal, tares, hempseed, and other corn for the birds and fowles
from September, 1660, to June 24, 1670, ^"246 i8s.

To John Scott for carpenters work done in wharfing and making
bridges in the Island and borders, and for boards used about the Decoy
and other work, ^45 15s. 4d. (Signed by Charles II.)

There is no doubt that Charles had many thousand waterfowl, both
tame and wild, on the Canal in those days, and he doubtless used the Decoy
for catching them from time to time, as required for table use, and to
reduce their ever-increasing numbers.

It is also quite possible that large numbers of wild duck frequented
the Decoy and water, and mingled with the half tame ones, for at that date
firearms, in a sporting sense, were few and clumsy, and little used on game
or fowl.

The Thames, and the great marshes that bordered its banks, and the
outskirts of London as well, would in those days be haunted with wildfowl,
and so form a good lead to the Canal and Decoy. Indeed a writer in the
" New Critical Review " for i 736 alludes to the Park and water as on one
side being bounded as by a wilderness and desert, though he sa)s its
other side is the height of civilization and beauty.

Le Serre, a French writer, speaking of St. James's Park in 1633,
says, after describing the public buildings and houses, " These are bounded
by a great Park with many walks, all covered by the shade of an infinite
number of oaks This Park is filled with wild animals."

In 1661, observant and quaint old Pepys remarks in his Diary, "To
walk in St. James' Park, and saw a great variety of fowls I never saw
before."

But perhaps the best description of the birds in the Park in those
days is to be found in Evelyn's Diary, March 29, 1665. He says, " I
went to St. James' Park, where I saw various animals, and examined the
throat of y° ' Onocratylus,' or Pelican, a fowle between a Stork and a Swan,
a melancholy waterfowl brought from Astracan by the Russian Ambassador ;

128 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

it was diverting to see how he would toss up and turn a flat fish, plaice
or flounder, to get it right into its gullet

" Here was also a small waterfowl, not bigger than a Morehen, that went
almost quite erect like the Penguin of America. It would eat as much fish
as its whole body weighed. I never saw so unsatiable a devourer, yet y"
body did not appear to swell bigger.

" The Solan Geese here are also great devourers, and are said soon to
exhaust all ye fish in a pond.

"Here was a curious sort of poultry, not much exceeding the size of

a tame Pigeon a milkwhite Raven, a Stork, which was a rarity

at this season, seeing he was loose and could fly loftily. Two Balerian

Cranes The Park was at this time stored with numerous flocks of

several sorts of ordinary and extraordinary wildfowl breeding about the
Decoy, which for being near so great a city is a singular and diverting

thing."*

It appears from this that Charles II. was a very prince of bird fanciers ;
he it was who gave the name to Birdcage Walk, for along its trees were
hung cages with birds, whose sale and barter he encouraged. On the
ground below, and between the trees, were fixed his own aviaries.

At that date Birdcage Walk, and the greater part of St. James's Park,
especially what was known as the Inward Park, were kept very quiet and
select, and there were most stringent regulations in force to prevent
damage occurring to the Royal pets. Edward Storey, whose name is
mentioned in the Decoy expenses, was the King's Bird Keeper, and Storey's
Gate, at the south-eastern entrance to the Park, derives its name from his
house having stood at that point.

Duck Island (the Decoy had long before disappeared) was abolished
at the end of the last century, for Pennant remarks, in 1 790, that under the
new improvement it had lately ceased to exist.

* Wild-duck now and then visit, and nest in, the Z. S. Gardens in Regent's Park, and
regularly appear, during the winter, on the Long water in Kensington Park, as well as, occa-
sionally, even on the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park !

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 129

Decoys in the County of Monmouth.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in nse.

None.

Wilcrick.

Nash.

Nas/i and Wilcrick, 4 and 5 miles E. from Newport, within 3 miles
of the Bristol Channel. On the Caldicott Level, and some distance from
any dwelling in these two parishes, there were formerly two Decoys, that at
Nash belonging to Miss Wilcox, that at Wilcrick (or W^hitson) belonging
to the Misses Rouse of Court-y-Ralla, near Cardiff. They were both
owned by the late Mr. Joseph Wilcox, and are believed to have been
constructed about 80 or 100 years ago. They have been disused since
1848-49. Each pool covered about an acre, and they had six pipes apiece.
Duck, Teal, and Wigeon were taken, the number varying considerably ;
but on one occasion 99 were caught in one drive at the Nash pool. The
Wilcrick pool is 500 yards S. of Bishton, on the .South Wales Railway, and
3 miles W^ of Magor ; the Nash pool a mile E. of the former one.

When the Great Western Railway was constructed, and passed within
half a mile of these pools, the Decoys became worthless. I am informed
that ^500 was paid by the Company in compensation.

Decoys in the County of Montgomery.

Decoys in iisc. Decoys not in use.

Lymore Hall. | None.

Lyinorc Hall, within 200 paces of the mansion, and about half a mile
from the county town of Montgomer)-, at Lymore Hall, the property of
Earl Powis, is a pool of 2 acres, surrounded by plantations, where a Decoy
was constructed about the year 1802. It has three pipes, two facing the
north and one facing the south. Comparatively few fowl, however, are
captured, the average "take " every season for the last ten years, within the
present keeper's knowledge, being not more than fifty couple.

s

130 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF D'ECOYS— {continued).

CHAPTER X.

Decoys in the County of Norfolk.

Certainly in former days Norfolk was, like Lincoln and Essex, also the
land of Decoys, for there were more of them in this county than in any
other in England, excepting the above-named counties.

The shape of the county is nearly elliptical, and it is so surrounded by
the sea and by rivers that it may almost be considered an island. In the
days when the Decoys were at their best in this county (1808 to 1830),
a great part of Norfolk consisted of rabbit warrens, fen lands, and sheep-
walks, and though these have been greatly reduced in area, they still exist
in parts of the county to a large extent.

Possessing such an extensive coast-line, and abounding in numerous
sluggish rivers and streams, besides many meres and " broads," Norfolk is
especially adapted, both from its outlying position in the North Sea, as well
as by reason of its varied extent of marsh and water, to attract aquatic birds,
and at the present day a larger number of wildfowl frequent and nest in
Norfolk than is the case in any other county in England.

1 am greatly indebted to Mr. T. Southwell, F.Z.S., of Norwich, who
has very kindly assisted me to most of the particulars I am able to give
of the Decoys in this county.

There are five Decoys in use in Norfolk, one of which only, that at
Westwick, is near the coast. The other four, viz., Southacre near Swaff-
ham, Didlington near Brandon, Wretham and Merton near Thetford, are
quite inland.

The disused Decoys are placed all over the county, except in its
centre.

Commencing in the NW., near Castle Rising, on the shores of the
Wash, and travelling round the coast to Yarmouth, we meet fourteen old
Decoys, the first of which is the Dersingham one, and the last, or most

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

131

southern, the one at Mautby, the latter being about halfway between the
sea-coast and Norwich.

Next, taking a line west from Yarmouth, we come to a Decoy at
Besthorpe, near Attleburgh, with none others near it save the one at
Wretham, which is in working order.

In the extreme west of the county, and within a dozen miles of Down-
ham Market, there is a group of no less than eight Decoys, two of which,
namely, the one at Didlington, and the other at South Acre, are now worked.
All these eight Decoys are east of the Great Ouse River, and in the district
between the Rivers Nar and Brandon.

Westwick.
South Acre.
Wretham.

Decoys

tn use.

Didlington.
Merton.

Decoys not in use.

Dersingham.

Holkham.

Langham.

Wolterton.

Cawston.

Gunton.

Hemstead.

Waxham.

Winterton.

Hemsby.

Woodbastwick.

Ranworth.

Acle.

Mautby.

Besthorpe.

Narford.

Wormegay.

Stow Bardol

Hilgay.

Methwold.

Hockwold.

Westiuick. — Two miles south from North Walsham, and 6 or 7 miles
in a direct line from the nearest sea-coast, at W'alcott, is Westwick Decoy,
charmingly situated In one of the prettiest and wildest spots in the count)-.
It was constructed by the late Mr. John Berney Petre, about sixty years
ago, and has been worked ever since. The extent of water is about half
an acre, and there are three pipes. It is on the estate of Mrs. M. L. Petre,
of Westwick House, Norwich.

132 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The late Lieutenant-Colonel Duff, M.P., whose widow, Mrs. Petre,
now owns the Westwick estate, kindly furnished Mr. Southwell with extracts
from the Decoy-book for seventeen years, from which it appears that the
average take during that period was about 400 each season. Since 1872-3
the fowl have been classified, and the number taken since then in six seasons
is as follows: — 2,362 Duck, 587 Teal, 3 Wigeon, and 3 Pintail; total
2,955, or about 493 per season. Of the Teal 320 were killed in one season.
In 1876-7, which was the best year recorded, 761 fowl were taken ; in
1877-8 only 320. Colonel Duff remarked that some years ago from 1,000
to 1,500 was the usual take. In the season of 1884-5 Z'S Duck and 6
Teal were taken in the Westwick Decoy. A dog is not used, and the
fowl are enticed into the pipes by feeding only.

This Decoy, from the nature of the surrounding country and its
secluded situation, is little affected by agricultural operations.

South Acre, on the River Nar, 3^^ miles NW. from Swaffham,and 3 miles
from Narford Hall, on the estate of Mr. A. Fountaine, is a Decoy, still worked,
which was made in 1843 by George Skelton for the Rev. John Fountaine,
and concerning which Mr. Southwell obtained the following particulars from
James Plumb, who was Decoyman there for twenty-three years. Plumb
states that there was no Decoy-book kept, but the average take each season
was about 300 fowl. These were chiefly Duck and Teal ; Pintail were
rare ; Wigeon 3 or 4 yearly ; Gadwall a few ;* and Shovellers seen, but none
taken. The largest takes were generally in November ; the numbers of
both sexes were about equal ; Mallards were very seldom taken without
Ducks. The pool, upon which this Decoy is made, is about an acre and a
half in extent, and has four pipes. It closely resembles in form the Decoy
at Didlington.

Wretkam, on a piece of water called " Mickle Mere," 30 acres in extent,
situated in Wretham Park, about midway between Thetford and Watton, is
a Decoy, or rather lake, with ten pipes, which was made some fifty years
ago for the late Mr. Wyrley Birch, and has been worked pretty regularly
ever since. A Decoy-book has been kept since 1868. The largest take in
one year during Mr, Birch's superintendence was 1,409 ; the smallest 125.
In the latter case, however, the paucity of numbers was accounted for by

* Gadwall now nest, and exist in considerable numbers, on the lake at Narford, as well
as on the lakes near Merton.

HIS 'WRY OF DECOYS. 133

the fact that some of the pipes were broken down by a heavy fall of snow.
The months in which the best " takes " occur are very uncertain. It is
said that a good year for acorns is a bad year for ducks, as the birds are
continually leaving the Decoy to go into the plantations after the acorns,
and will not settle down on the water. Very few " half birds " (?>.,
Wigeon and Teal) are killed, sometimes not twenty in a season, although
there are often many thousands on the water. In the season of 1883-4,
as I am informed by the present owner of Wretham, Mr. Morris, 1,640
ducks were taken ; the most ever captured in one season since Mr. Morris
has owned the Wretham estate being 1,760, the average take annually
being 1,000 fowl.

On the Ordnance Map, at East Wretham, near Stone Bridge on the
" Peddars Way," is a plantation marked " New Decoy." This, however, is
only a name. There has never been a Decoy there.

Among the peculiar birds and animals caught in the Wretham Decoy
by the present Decoyman, who has, I may note, worked it for nearly fifty
years uninterruptedly, are a Woodcock, Snipe, Moorhen, Hawk, Blackbird,
Thrush, Pheasant, Partridge, Wildgoose, Owl, Kingfisher, a Rabbit, and a
-Pig !

The Wretham Decoy has more pipes in use (ten) than any other
Decoy now worked, one being a left-handed pipe.

Didlingfoii, about 9 miles NW. of the last-mentioned Decoy, is
another, which was constructed by the Rev. J. Fountaine in 1865 for
its present owner, Mr. W. Tyssen-Amherst, M.P., of Didlington Park.
It is situated in a wood of 10 acres, about 500 yards from the man-
sion. It is just an acre in extent, and has four pipes. The fowl taken
are chiefly Duck and Teal, with a few Wigeon ; the average number caught
annually being 500. In one season 1,000 were caught, and many more
than are now taken might be easily captured were it not that the Decoy
is only worked for pleasure and sport, and not for profit.

In the shooting season the wood in which the Decoy is situated is
usually shot once or twice. On one of these occasions when the Author
was present, after first decoying some Ducks, 200 to 300 Pheasants were
killed in the covert surrounding the Decoy, yet two days afterwards there
were as many Ducks as before in the Decoy ; showing that shooting round
a Decoy occasionally will not damage it.

'34

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

An amusing- incident occurred tlie first time this Decoy was worked.
Mr. Fountaine, who constructeci it, was anxious tliat its reputation should be
at once established by making a successful catch in it the first time it was
tried. In the presence of the seventh Duke of Leeds, he proceeded to
work the Decoy. In one pipe were some eighty Duck he had lured well
inside ; all were driven up the pipe successfully, but, alas ! the tunnel net
had been omitted at the pipe's end, and every bird dashed through and away

DIDLINGTON- DECOY.

O)'

^k.

%...

to freedom. Quoth the Duke, "Well done, Mr. Fountaine! now, can you
put them through again, may I ask .'' "

The Duke was particularly interested in Decoys, Mr. Fountaine having
at that date just assisted in planning one for him at Hornby Castle ; so
that this accident, though amusing to him, was a great disappointment
to Mr. Fountaine.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 135

The Decoy is maintained in superb order by Mr. Tyssen-Amherst,
M.P., who takes no Httle pride in its possession, — both as an object of
curiosity as well as an ornamental feature in connection with his fine
sporting estate of Didlington — an estate which, I may safely say, is
celebrated, both for the immense number of game it shelters as well as
for the great variety of wildfowl its fens and rivers afford. There is at
Didlington, in the immediate vicinity both of the Hall and the Decoy, a
fine mere of 60 acres — a magnificent harbour, to attract wildfowl to the
neighbourhood — and from which it is but a short flight for them into the
Decoy hard by.

One of the Decoy pipes is actually in view of the windows of
the mansion, and though the Decoy is within 300 to 400 paces of
a school, gas-works, and a large farm and garden, still its success is
so well ensured that 1,000 Ducks may often be seen resting in its
seclusion.

The Merton Decoy consists of a pipe attached to the eastern extremity
of Thompson Mere. This large piece of water, covering 60 acres, is
situated 2 miles south of Merton Hall, the latter being 2\ miles from
Watton.

The Decoy pipe was constructed for Lord Walsingham by G.
Skelton (1886), and is likely to be successful, for the Merton estate,
besides being one of the most famous in England for its abundance of
game of all kinds, stands well-nigh unrivalled as the haunt of wildfowl,
both rare and common. .So numerous are these birds on the meres of
Lord Walsingham's property, that the owner thereof has many times
shot to his own gun in a single day from 80 to 100 wild ducks of various
species.

Dersmgham, 5 miles NNE. from Castle Rising, not far from the
shores of the Wash.— About 1818a Decoy was constructed at this place by
George Skelton the younger, who died here. The pool was about an acre
and a quarter in extent and had five pipes. No Decoy-book was kept, but
Skelton's brother-in-law, who worked the Decoy with him, stated, that the
average number of fowl captured every winter was from 130 to 200 tlozcn
Wild Duck, Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and Pintail. Skelton was succeeded
by a man named .Sharp, from Hilgay, and a new cottage was built for him ;
but it is said that he was not successful. Owinp- to alterations in drainaee,

136 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

and drying up of the creek on which it stood, the Decoy ceased to answer,
and about 1870 was dismantled.

Holkham, 3 miles from Wells, the princely seat of the Earl of Leicester.
—On the marshes at Holkham, half a mile north of the church, traces may
still be seen of an old Decoy and its pipes. It has not been worked since
the commencement of the present century, and no one now living can give
any information about it. Its position is shown on a map of Norfolk by
Faden, published in 1797. The lake in the park at Holkham is resorted to
by immense numbers of wildfowl every winter, many of which remain to
breed. In 1S84-5 it was calculated that as many as 10,000 Wigeon
passed between its sheltered surface and the adjacent coast every
dusk and dawn, the reason being that a vessel laden with corn was
wrecked on the sandbanks oft" Holkham. Such a vast store of grain
being scattered on the shore and its flats, the fowl assembled in multitudes
from all along the coast to feast on it by night, and so the majority
passed the day resting in the seclusion of Holkham Lake, safe from
persecution by the gunners.

Langham. — Mr. Southwell states that there was a Decoy at Langham,
l\ miles SW. of Cley, constructed for the late Captain Marryat, R.N.
(the well-known author.) After his death, in 1854, the property was
purchased by Mr. .S. F. Rippingall, and the Decoy dismantled.

The site of the Deco}- is now a field, with a small stream running
through it ; plantation, lake, and Decoy all gone. The Rev. E. W. Dowell,
who had often seen this Decoy worked, says the proportion of fowl taken
was about Wigeon 3, Mallard 2, Teal i.

U'oltertou, 4^ miles NNW. from Aylsham. — Mr. Southwell states, in
his paper on Norfolk Decoys, that at the south-west corner of Wolterton
Park there is a wood called the Decoy Plantation, and in it the remains of
what was once a Deco)-, but he was unable to learn anything with regard
to it, except that it had certainly not been worked for more than fifty years.

Cawston, i\ miles NE. of Reepham. — At the commencement of the
present century there was a Decoy in the Bluestone Hall plantation at
Cawston, but it was demolished by the grandfather of the present owner
of the property. Captain Bulwer, when he headed the pond and enlarged
the water. No one now living is able to give any information respecting it.

Gnnton Park, 5 miles NW. of North Walsham. — About the year 1803

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 137

or 1804 the second Lord Suffield had a Decoy constructed at Gunton,
on a mere of 30 acres. It had three pipes, but has long- been dismantled.

Hempstead (near the sea-coast), 9 miles SE. of North Walsham, and
2 miles SE. from Holt. — Until the year 1845 there was a very productive
Decoy belonging to the Gurney family at Hempstead, within a few miles
of the sea. It was for many years worked by Richard Skelton, son of
George Skelton of Winterton, who was very successful, sometimes taking
as many as 300 or 400 fowl at one drive.

The Decoyman who succeeded him continued Decoying until 1845,
when, being detected in carrying on an illicit still, hidden in the Decoy
wood, by means of which he converted the Pheasants' barley into whisky
for his own use, he was summarily dismissed, and the Decoy having fallen
out of repair was never afterwards worked.

As no Decoy-book was kept, it is not possible to give any particulars
concerning the fowl captured, but the number is known to have been very
large.

WaxJiam. — Twelve miles ESE. from North Walsham, and some 3 to 4
miles S. of the last-named, was placed the Waxham Decoy, in a large
marsh near the sea-coast. This is the Decoy supposed to have been made
by Sir William Woodhouse in the reign of James I., who, according to
Spelman, was the first person to introduce properly planned Decoys into
East Anglia.

The marsh is now drained, and the site of the pool planted with osiers.

Winterton. — This Decoy, situate a mile N. of East Somerton, 2 J
miles NE. of Martham, and close to the sea, was constructed by old
George Skelton, who continued to work it up to the time of his death in
January, 1840, when he was succeeded by his son Henry. It has been
described by Lubbock in his " Fauna of Norfolk" (2nd ed. p. 13S), in the
Appendix to which, at p. 221, Mr. Southwell has added several interesting
particulars from Lubbock's MSS.

It was originally made for Mr. Huntingdon, from whom it joasscd to
the late Mr. Joseph Hume, M. P., whose son some years since disposed of
the property to Captain Bird, since which time it has not been worked ;
the proprietor, as in the case of the Mautby and Ranworth Decoys,
preferring duck-shooting to Decoying.

The Winterton Decoy was held famous among its fellows as the one

T

138 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

constructed by old George Skelton, when he first migrated to Norfolk from
the Friskney Decoy in Lincolnshire. The Winterton Decoy was much
derided by the Norfolk Decoymcn on account of its small size (2 acres),
compared to the extensive broads then used as Decoys by them.

A derision, however, soon turned to wonder and envy on its becoming
known that " Old Skelton " had succeeded in catching in his " two-acre
puddle," as it was termed, i,[00 Teal in a week.

Hemsby, \\ miles SW. of Hemsby, and at the northern end of
Ormsby Broad, may be seen the remains of an old Decoy, with 5 pipes,
long disused. It belono-ed to a Mr. Waters, whose son informed Mr.
Southwell that it was worked by his father, and that large catches were
often made, but that it had not been used since the commencement of the
present century.

Woodbastwick, ^\ miles NW. of Acle. — There is a small broad in this
parish, on the River Bure, known as the " Decoy Pond," which evidently
derived its name from the Decoy which formerly existed there, the remains
of the pipes being still visible. From inquiries, however, made on the spot,
it would appear that it has not been used since the beginning of the present
century.

Ranzaorth, \\ miles NW. of Acle. — This Decoy, a very famous one
years ago, was attached to the NW. end of Ranworth Broad, and was last
worked by its late proprietor, Mr. John Kerrison, about 1869. No regular
account was kept of the results, but from some memoranda in possession of
the owner's family (which Mr. Southwell was allowed to see) it appears
that the annual take was from 900 to 1,000 fowl, of which by far the largest
number were common wild ducks. The actual figures for the season
1864-5 were: Duck 877, Teal 70, Wigeon 8, Shovellers 3, Pintail i.
Tufted Duck i and Goosander i ; total 961.

The Decoyman, formerly in Mr. Kerrison's service, informed Mr.
Southwell that when the American pond weed, Anacharis alsinastrum,
abounded in the district, the ducks evinced such partiality for it, that he had
great difficulty in enticing them up the pipes. Of those pipes there were
ten, the broad containing some 60 acres of water. It was at the Ranworth
Decoy that the late Rev. Richard Lubbock made the practical observations
which enabled him to write the interesting chapter on this subject in his
" Fauna of Norfolk," — perhaps the first really reliable account of a Decoy,

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 139

based on actual experience, which had up to that time been published.
The date of its construction is unknown.

Acle, II miles E. from Norwich, on the property of Lord Calthorpe at
Acle. — A Decoy was worked here nearly fifty years ago by a man named
Johnson. It is said to have had three pipes, traces of which are still
visible, though much overgrown.

Mautby, 2^ miles W. of East Caistor, between West Caistor and
Runham. — It is uncertain when this Decoy ceased to be worked. Mr.
Fellowes of Shotesham Park, the owner of it, possesses a letter written by
George Skelton, dated Winterton, March 1833, offering to hire it, from
which letter it appears that at that date it was out of repair. The offer,
however, was declined, Mr. Fellowes preferring the shooting, and the
Decoy has never been worked since. The pond is still the resort of large
numbers of wildfowl, and the place is kept perfectly quiet, the pipes and the
posts of the screens remaining. It was a very perfect Decoy in its day, of
small size, with 4 pipes, and was especially successful in luring the fowl off
Breydon Water, where in those days they abounded.

Its position is i-| miles on the north bank of the River Bure, to the
right of a line drawn from Tlirigby to Riiiiliaui, on the sea-coast.

Besthorpe. — On what is still known as the Decoy Common, in the
parish of Besthorpe, \\ mile from Attleborough, there was formerly a
Decoy, which is believed to have been abandoned about the time of the
enclosure of the common in 181 5. An old man, eighty-five years of age,
who had resided in the neighbourhood all his life, stated in 1878 to a
correspondent of Mr. Southwell's, that the common was formerly usually
under water, and that the ducks used to resort to it up to the date of its
enclosure. He could give no information, however, as to the working of
the Decoy.

Narford Hall. — The Rev. J. Fountaine, previous to his constructing
the Decoy at South Acre, made two pipes on the large lake in 1S43, near
Narford Hall, and for a few years worked them successfully, as he in
one season obtained 1,000 fowl. But his brother, who then owned Narford
Hall, being fond of shooting, and not being disposed to give the lake such
absolute quiet as the Decoy necessitated, these two pipes were aban-
doned in favour of the new Decoy, not far distant, on a separate pool at
South Acre, near the vicarage of its owner, as already described.

140 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

IVoj'iiiegay. — While resident at Dersingham about 1818, George
Skelton for a short time worked a Decoy near Wormegay, 7^ miles NNE.
of Downham Market, and close to the N. bank of the River Nar. The
pool was only an acre in extent, and had four pipes. Mr. Southwell was
informed by an old inhabitant of the neighbourhood that this Decoy was
last used in 1838, but that about sixty years ago (18 18) it was worked
by John Balls, who had some very successful seasons, and made several
hundred pounds in a few years. The last year it was used, being much
out of repair, it was said the amount received was only ^20.

Siow Bardolph, 2 miles NNE. of Downham Market, in the Stow Bar-
dolph Fen, are the remains of a Decoy which has not been used for the
last sixty years. It was the property of Sir Thomas Hare, and well situated
to attract wildfowl.

Hilgay, in the parish of Hilgay, 5 miles SSE. from Downham Market,
on the Woodhall Estate, and \\ miles NE. of Southery, was an old Decoy
known as the Woodhall Decoy, which thirty years ago was owned by a
Mr. Wilson. As it was not found to answer, owing to the flooding of the
fen, it was given up about i860, and the traces of it are now obliterated.
It was situated on land now the property of Mr. Stocks. Mr. H. M.
Upcher states that for about fifteen years the brothers William and George
Skelton worked this Decoy, and that at Methwold, next mentioned.

Methivold. — On a tract of land called "The Severals," in the parish
of Methwold, 4I miles SSE. of Stoke Ferry, i-^ miles E. of Southery,
and \ a mile from the Decoy at Hilgay, last described, stood another,
which was built in 1806 by William Skelton, who with his brother
George worked this and the Hilga)' Decoy for fifteen years, when the
fens became so flooded the two pools could no longer be kept up at a
profit. They then remained unused till 1824, when Mr. Wilson hired the
land of the Duchy of Lancaster and repaired the pipes. A man who
worked this Decoy informed Mr. Upcher that he caught a great many fowl,
chiefly Duck, Wigeon, and Teal. He could not tell the exact number
" driven up at once," but was certain that three to four dozen had been
taken "at one drive." Wilson died in 1856, and his widow kept on the
Decoy with old T. Williams {see Wrangle and Lakenheath) as a Decoyman.
She gave it up to her brother, Mr. Harwin, in 1862. Williams continued
to act as Decoyman till 1870, when one night he fell into a i^tw ditch and

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 141

was drowned (his age being reputed at over 100 years). Harwin informed
Mr. Upcher that he had some good seasons. On one occasion, when a
thaw set in, the fowl coming in hungry from the sea-coast, WilHams drove
up 75 wild ducks at once, the most he ever saw taken at one time. He
had seen from 50 to 60 taken many times. After the death of Williams,
Harwin managed the Decoy himself for two years. His fortune, however,
in decoying was not so good as formerly. The duck-catching, he con-
sidered, was nice amusement, but working the Decoy was very trying in
frosty weather.

This Decoy was abandoned in 1872, and has not since been used.

Hockiuold, 8 miles W. of Brandon, between Brandon and Littleport. —
There was formerly a Decoy in Redmore Fen in the parish of Hockwold,
\ a mile from the south bank of the Brandon River, on the verge of the
county, and which used to be worked by one Burgess, but about 1838 it
was given up in consequence of its being too near the Lakenheath Decoy
in Suffolk for both to be worked with profit.

142 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF Y)'^CO\'^ -{continued).

CHAPTER XI.

Decoys in the County of Northampton.

This county is frequented by wildfowl, in any number, only in its NE.
extremity, near which portion it is bordered by Lincolnshire and Hunting-
donshire, and more or less encompassed by the sluggish rivers Nene and
Welland. In former times, when the great meres of Whittlesey and
Ramsey, and the Fens of Crowland, Deeping, Stilton, Hotme, and Farcett
were uncultivated, wildfowl frequented the low-lying lands that border the
Nene and Wettand in Northamptonshire in large numbers. This area is,
however, restricted to the extreme NE. point of the county, and reaches
from Oundte to Wansford and thence to Croivtand. Between Crowland
and Peterborough exists the only fen in the county, that known as Borough
Fen, and here is placed an old and well-known Decoy. The only other
Decoy in Northamptonshire is Lord Lilford's, at Aldwinckle, on the Nene
near Oundle.

Decoys in use. Decoys 07it of use.

Aldwinckle.
Borousfh Fen.

None.

Atdzvinclzte, near Lilford Hall, Oundle, 3I miles NE. of Thrapstone.
A Decoy was constructed here last year (1885) by T. Gilbert Skelton for
Lord Lilford. It is triangular in form, and has three pipes, one at each
corner, and is a very jDerfect example of a Duck Decoy, as no expense or
trouble has been spared in its construction.

The Decoy being situated in the valley of the River Nene, is likely to
succeed, as fowl frequent and pass over this valley in large numbers, and
also rest on their migration in it, especially when the river floods, as it
sometimes does extensively. Lord Lilford tells me that he has seen as

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 143

many as from 1,000 to 2,000 of the aquatic species on his low lands,
when the water is out along the course of the Nene, and that he has
obtained almost every kind of duck here, including Gadwall.

Borough Fen, 6 miles N. of Peterborough, between Peakirk and
Crowland, and 2 miles NE. of the former town, near the S. bank of the
River Welland. — There is a fine Decoy here, in good working order, with
eight pipes, rented by Mr. John B. Williams, who informs me that it
has been in the occupation of his family for over 200 years, and that he has
been at great expense in repairing and improving it, but unfortunately he
has kept no record of the annual captures made, which were formerly very
large.

There is no doubt that this Decoy is one of the oldest established in
England. Mr. Williams states that when searching documents at the
Bedford Level Office in Ely, he came upon an application, in one of the
Minute Books, dated 1670, made by the Earl of Lincoln, requesting from
the Drainage Commissioners permission to pierce the embankment of
the River Welland to lead a ditch to his Decoy to supply it with water.
This Decoy, and the estate round it, originally belonged to the Earl of
Lincoln ; it then came into the posession of Lord Eardley, then Sir Culling
Eardley Smith, Bart, and it now belongs to Mrs. F. S. Culling Hanbury,
of Bedwell Park, Herts, the daughter and heiress of the late Sir Culling
Eardley, Bart.

The Decoy lies between the Rivers Nene and Welland, in the extreme
NE. corner of Northamptonshire.

Decoys in the County of Nottingham.

Though Nottinghamshire is one of the most central, as well as culti-
vated counties of England, it possesses three Decoys.

These are, however, of peculiar structure, being trap or cage Decoys.
The fowl, instead of being fed or enticed up pipes, and then driven, as is
the usual custom, are treated quite a different way, as will be seen on
perusing the account of the Decoys that pertain to the county. Notting-
hamshire boasts some very large lakes, such as those at Clumbe7', the

144 'J'HE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Duke of Newcastle's ; Wclbcck, the Duke of Portland's ; Thorcsby, Earl
Manvers' ; Park Hall, Captain T. Hall's ; and Newstead, Mr. W. F.
Webb's, all the resort and resting-places of large numbers of wildfowl.

Besides these, the River Trent winds through the entire length of
the county.

I consider that Nottinghamshire contains, at most times, more wildfowl
than any other English county that is without a sea-coast. Nevertheless,
the Decoys therein are of a rude and primitive description, and are
copied from the curious, and doubtless original, one of the county, that at
Hauehton.

■^&

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Haughton.
Park Hall.
Ossington.

Woolaton.

Haughton Decoy, i mile north of Walesby, 4 miles ESE. from Clumber,
6 miles SW. of Retford, and 4 miles NW. of Tuxford.

This Decoy, on the property of the Duke of Newcastle, is doubtless
of considerable antiquity, though the date of its construction is unknown.
It is jilaced in the centre of a wood of 30 acres, and consists of a pool
of 8 acres. It has two pipes, with wooden hoops, covered with wire netting.
The fowl, instead of being taken in tunnel nets at the end of the pipes, as
in other Decoys, are captured by lowering a trap-door at the entrance
to the pipes, after they have entered them for food placed therein. They
are left undisturbed in the trap till evening, when the rest of the fowl
having flown away to feed, they are then killed. The trap-doors are
raised and lowered by means of wires running over pulleys from the
Decoy huts. The pipes are 35 yards in length, 18 feet wide across the
entrance, and 1 1 feet high. The water in the pipes is not more than 6 inches
deep. Ducks, Teal, and Wigeon are captured here, the number taken
annually varying from 300 to 400. The greatest number ever captured at
one time was 30. An accurate Decoy book is kept by the Decoyman,
which, on my visit to Haughton, I inspected.

From which it appears that 478 Wild Duck and 9 Teal were taken in
the season (1884-5).

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 14S

As many as 500 Wild Duck are sometimes to be seen resting on the
surface of the Haughton Decoy in the winter.

The passing of the Ground Game Act is said to have materially inter-
fered with the working of this Decoy, as the constant trespass by tenants
on the adjoining lands disturbs the solitude of the place and alarms the
fowl.

A family of Decoymen named Ward have been at Haughton for
generations in connection with this Decoy. The Decoy was originally
on the estate of the Earl of Clare, who died in the sixteenth century, and
whose daughter married the fifth Earl of Lincoln, ancestor of the present
owner of the property. The ancient fish ponds and other appurtenances
of the Decoy evince the great care and expense that has been bestowed
on it and its surroundings in bygone days.

This Decoy is, as far as can be ascertained, the oldest trap Decoy in
our islands, and it is from this that those at Park Hall, Ossiugtou, and
Hardwick were copied. (See Hardiuick for plan and dimensions of a trap
Decoy, page 71.)

Park Hall, 2 miles N. of Mansfield.

There is a trap Decoy on the lake at Park Hall, the residence of Capt.
F. Hall. A channel about So feet long, cut through an island in the lake,
is arched over with wire netting, and has a tailing door at each end, with a
division in the centre. The ducks are fed for some time, and when there
are a sufficient number in the jaipe, the doors are lowered by a wire
from the Decoyman's hut. They are left undisturbed in this trap until
the other fowl on the pool have left in the evening to feed, when the
keeper enters with a landing-net, and, after securing all the captives, resets
the trap. (See Hardwick, page 71.)

Osshtoioii Hall, 4g miles S.SE. of Tuxford, on the estate of Lady
Ossington.

About five-and-twenty years ago a trap Decoy was constructed here
on the plan of the one at Haughton, just described. It is, however,
much smaller in size, being only 24 feet long, and 8 feet high.

The keeper approaches the Decoy by a sunken path surrounded h\
thick evergreens, and when on peering through these he perceives a suffi-
cient number of fowl in the cage, the trap-door is genth' lowered from a
distance by a system of pulle)s and wire, inch 1)\' inch, until they are all

u

146 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

enclosed. This is done without in the least alarminy; the other fowl on
the water, and the captives are left until after flight time, when the keeper
returns, puts off in a small punt, enters the cage, and wrings their necks.
The greatest number of fowl ever taken at one time was 1 7, the average
number taken annually being about 60 ; but the Decoy is only used to
supply the house, and no regular account is kept. (See Hardivick, page 71.)

IVooIatou Hall, 3 miles W. of Nottingham, and the residence of Lord
Middleton.

In the grounds at Woolaton is a lake of 23 acres, with a small island
at its northern extremity. On the island was formerly placed a small
cage, for entrapping ducks, similar to those at Hardwick, Park Hall,
Haughton, and Ossington. Its age is unknown, it is out of repair, and
has long since ceased to be used.

Near the lake, on its west side, and about the year 1825, a well-
planned three-pipe Decoy was constructed, which consisted of an acre of
water.

It was last worked in 1845, ^^^^ being so near Nottingham, and in
such a populated district, the takes were small, and not exceeding for many
seasons 100 fowl, it was finally dismantled.

Decoys in the County of Oxford.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Tythrop.

Tytlirop Decoy. — Tythrop, though in Oxfordshire, is a liberty of the
parish of Kingsey, Bucks, and is 2 miles NE. of Thame. Tythrop
House, which is situated f of a mile from the Decoy, was the seat of James
Herbert, sixth son of the Earl of Pembroke, who was Chamberlain
to Charles I., and from him it has passed by devise and descent to the
present owner, P. J. D. Wykeham, Esq.

This Decoy is probably a very ancient one, but it cannot be ascertained
up to what period it was worked. There is no o\\<i in Kingsey or in the
adjoining parish of Haddenham who has ever heard of its being used.

HIS TORY OF DECOYS. 147

On an Estate Map drawn in the year i 763 it is shown as " The Moor
or Decoy," and the adjoining meadow is called " The Moor Meadow."

On an Estate Map drawn in 1820 it is called " The Decoy."

No pipes are shown on either map.

It would appear, from an inspection of the pond itself, that there
are the traces of three pipes, one at the lower, and two at the upper end
of the pond.

The brook that divides Tythrop from Haddenham is an ancient
mill-stream, and is .some feet above the level of the pond, which is sup-
plied by it with water through a floodgate, and the water passes away
from the pond by an artificial watercourse.

O.xfordshire is not rich in county histories, and the histories at the
Bodleian offer no information as to this Decoy.

Lipscombe, in his " History of Bucks," does not mention it, though he
deals with Kingsey. The following coincidence, however, may be noted,
viz., that James Herbert was seized of Tythrop and of the Manor
of Kingsey in right of his wife, sole daughter and heiress of Sir Robert
Spiller and Elizabeth his wife, who was the widow of Sir John Dynham,
Knt, of Boarstall, and, if not the Lady Dynham who was living at
Boarstall in 1650, was alive at the same time.

It is at least possible she might, remembering the Decoy at Boar-
stall, have induced her husband to construct one at Tythrop.

Decoys in the County of Pembroke.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Orielton. | None.

Or id ton, 2^ miles SW. of Pembroke. — This Decoy (a very good one)
is the property of Lieutenant-Colonel Saurin of Orielton, in the county of
Pembroke, South Wales, who kindly supplies the following most interesting
details: — It is situated on a lake of 15 acres, within the park, the car-
riage drive running within 200 yards of two of the tunnel nets. The

148 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

lake lies east and west, is over a quarter of a mile long, and of an average
breadth of 150 yards, a stream running through it.

The pipes are four in number.

No. I is situated on the north side of the lake, No. 2 at the north-east
corner. No. 3 at the east-south-east corner, and No. 4 at the south side of
the lake.

No pipes could be placed at the west end, as the lake terminates there
in a high embankment. This is a disadvantage, as the prevailing wind
during the season is westerl)-. The pipes average 1 2 feet in height, the
smallest hoop being, as usual, 2 feet. The average width at the mouth is
18 feet. Nos. 2 and 3 are 70 yards long ; No. i about 60 yards ; and No. 4
40 yards. The last might advantageously be lengthened, but the nature of
the ground is an obstacle.

The lake is artificial, and was made in the year 1820, but though great
numbers of wildfowl frequented it, no attempt was made to form a Decoy
till the year 1 868, when a pipe was constructed on the northern shore of
the lake ; but owing to its faulty position, and its being overshadowed by
trees, was shortly afterwards dismantled, and the pipe called No. 2 was
made in 1871 ; it having been found to answer, No. 3 was added in 1873.

Next year the pipe No. i was opened, and this was followed in 1876
by the pipe called No. 4. These four pipes have been in constant working
order ever since.

No authentic record is extant of the number and description of fowl
taken before the year 1877, but since that date a careful account has been
kept, from which the enclosed is an extract : —

The largest number taken at one time was 130 Teal, on January ri,
1879.

The greatest number taken in one day was 202, of which the 130
above mentioned formed part ; the remainder being made up by 14 Duck,
1 8 Wigeon, and 40 Teal. The birds on this occasion all fed in.

As will be seen from the accompanying extract, the majority of fowl
taken are Wisfeon, which on this coast are excellent for table. Duck and
Teal come next in order, the preponderance varying in different seasons
accordinsf to wind and weather.

In addition to the Pintail and Shoveller Ducks mentioned in the list,
I Sheldrake, i Bernacle Goose, i Pochard, and 2 Gadwall have been taken.

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

149

The term " various "' includes Swans, Pheasants, Snipe, Waterhens,
Baldcoots and 2 Divers.

A curious incident occurred on December 6, 1884. As the Decoyman
was entering No. i pipe to feed the tame Ducks, a Heron pursued by a
Peregrine dashed into the pipe. The man at once showed on them, ran
them into the tunnel net, and took them both.

The means employed for catching are the dog and feeding, a number
of tame ducks being kept on the lake. The dog is of most use at the
beginning of the season.

As the Decoy was worked by the proprietor principally for his own
amusement, the number of birds taken varied with the amount of time he
was able to devote to Decoying.

First Birds

Season.

taken.

1877-78

Nov. 28

1878-79

Aug. 22

1879-80

Sept. 17

1880-81

Sept. 30

1881-82

Sept. 28

1882-83

Sept. 16

1883-84

Aug. 25

1884-85

Nov. I

Last Birds
taken.

Duck.

Feb. IS

Feb. II

Feb. 1 4

Feb. 26

Feb. 23

Feb. 16

Feb. 23

Feb. 22

S
183
244
100
70
85
150
360

Wigeon.

Teal.

Pintail.

Shoveller.

Various.

5°4

341

0

0

3

452

871

6

4

15

604

485

6

6

23

275

317

2

I

16

535

190

I

I

5

643

264

I

I

3

562

363

3

I

I

575

144

9

2

I

Total.

853

1. 531

1,368

711

802

997
1,080
1,091

The first pipe at this Decoy was constructed by a gamekeeper named
Sharpe, from Norfolk. Two others were made by George and T. Gilbert
Skelton, and one of the Williamses from Suffolk made the last. The Decoy
is situated within a short distance of the south shore of Milford Haven, a
large extent of water and ooze much frequented by wildfowl.

ISO THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Decoys in the County of SiiRorsiiiRE.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Oakley Park.
Sundorne Castle.

Aston Hall.

Oakley Park, Bromfield, 3 miles WNW. from Ludlo\v. — The Decoy
here is the property of Lord Windsor, and of some antiquity, being marked
in a map of 1796. It covers an area of about five-and-twenty acres, and
has four pipes. Originally there were but two pipes, but in 1834 two
others were added by the late Hon. Robert Clive.

The present Decoyman, who has been at Oakley about ten years,
states, that the average number of ducks taken annually is from iio to 120.
His father was Decoyman before him for more than 30 years, and he
says they used to take many more in the first years that his father was
there, but owing to some large pool on another property above the Decoy
being done away with, they did not get so many birds afterwards.

Sundorne Castle, 5 miles NE. of Shrewsbury. — There is a Decoy
here on the property of the Rev. J. D. Corbett. It consists of 3 pipes,
attached to a lake of 30 acres, and was constructed some 100 years ago by
John Corbett, the famous fox-hunter. The Decoy is 500 yards from the
Castle. The takes are not large, as the Decoy is only used to supply the
table of its owner.

Aston Hall. — There are the remains of a four-pipe Decoy here on
the estate of Colonel Richard Lloyd of Aston Hall, Oswestry.

The pool is 3 miles from Aston Hall, and 2 from Whittington. It is
placed in an angle between the River Perry and the Ellesmere Canal, on
part of a large tract of marsh land known as Baggy (or Boggy) Moor, and
through which the River Perry flows. The Decoy is a quarter of a mile
distant from both the canal and the river. Its age is about 200 years, but
it has not been in use for the last 80. It was made by Thomas Lloyd, Esq.,
of Aston, who died in 1692,

The pool consists of i acre, 2 roods, 6 perches.

There are no records of its successes.

In the Aston pedigree the following note occurs on the page which
records the death of Thomas Lloyd, the constructor of the Decoy : —

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 151

"Mr. Thomas Lloyd made a Decoy on the moor for taking wildfowl,
and Mr. Mytton, of Halston, built a forge close by on the opposite side of
the River Perry, for the purpose of disturbing the ducks for shooting
at them, for which a bill in Chancery was afterwards preferred against
Mr. Mytton by Mr. Lloyd."*

In Davies' " History of Whittington Castle," printed about 1800, the
following very curious lines, quoted from an epitajjh, occur : —

"ANDREW WILLIAMS.

"Born a.d. 1692. Died Ai-ril 18, 1776.

"Aged 84 years.

"Of which time he lived under the Aston family as Decoyman 60 years.

" Here lies the Decoyman who lived like an otter,
Dividing his time betwixt land and water ;
His hide he oft soaked in the waters of Perry,t
Whilst Aston old beer his spirits kept cherry.
Ampliibious his life, Death was puzzled to say
How to dust to reduce such well-moistened clay ;
So Death turned Decoyman and 'coyed him to land,
Where he fixed his abode till quite dried to the hand ;
He then found him fitting for crumbling to dust,
And here he lies mouldering as you and 1 must."

* Mr. Lloyd won the lawsuit from Mr. Mytton (ancestor of the famous Jack Mytton),
and both parties rode up to London to give their evidence.
I The name of the river close by the Decoy.

152 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF Y^^COY'Si- {continued).

CHAPTER XII.

Decoys in the County of Somerset.

Many years ago Somerset was a famous county for wildfowl, and must
have almost rivalled Lincoln, Norfolk, and Essex in this respect.

In these clays of reclamation and cultivation Somerset is fairly well
stocked with fowl, such as Ducks and Teal ; much more so, in fact, than any
other English counties save those on the eastern coast.

Somerset has an extensive seaboard of between 50 and 60 miles,
reaching from the border of Gloucester to that of Devon. This frontage
of water consists of the Bristol Channel, which abounds in suitable palaces
to attract and collect wildfowl. Hence many of such birds still find their
way to inland parts of the county — to spots that tempt them to rest and
feed without disturbance.

The immense tract of wild land that can be seen NW. of Glastonbury
by any one ascending the Tor, and which extends from that eminence
to the sea-coast, as well as on the western side of the Polden Hills,
being especially haunted by the Duck species. At the beginning of the
century this flat was still partially uncultivated and subject in winter to
frequent floods that almost gave it the appearance of a sea. It consisted
of 1 5 square miles of marsh and wet reed-grown meadows. The corners
of the square might be taken as Wells, Langport, Uphill, and Lihtock, and
it extended across the count)^ from near the foot of the Mendip Hills to
near the Qttantock Range.

Midway the Polden Hills rise from the level country. To the N. and
NE. of these is the Brue Level, a swampy plain between the Rivers Brtie
and Axe. To the NW., W. and SW. of the Polden Hills the sluggish
River Parrot flows through the large area of low land known as Kine's
Scdgemoor (15,000 acres), so named from the Battle of Sedgemoor, which
was fought in and around this, as it then was, morass. These lands lie so

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 153

low that formerly, during exceptionally high tides, the sea frequently broke
into them over the sea-walls and laid many thousand acres under water,
and in many parts they are still liable to be flooded by freshwaters during
the winter. Though there were other considerable tracts of marsh lands
in this county, such as Kenn Moor, near Clevedon, NE. of the River
Yeo, it was, and indeed is, those previousl)' named that are most haunted
by wildfowl, and about which the Decoys of Somerset are placed.

Decoys in the Countv of Somerset.

Decoys in use.

Sharpham Park. | King's Sedgemoor (3).

Shapwick. I

Decoys not in use.

Meare. 1 Stoke.

Compton Dundon. Nyland.

Allen I Cheddar Water.

Godney. j Kenn Moor.

Westbury. I

Sharpham Park, 2 miles SW. of Glastonbury, formerly attached to
the Abbey of Glastonbury. The Decoy is situated between Glastonbury
and Walton.

It is now part of the estate of Lord Kilcoursie, and is at present let
to Mr. G. Porter, the tenant of the farm.

This Decoy is the most ancient in the county, and all the other Decoys
in Somerset closely resemble it in shape and size, and were without doubt
copied from it. For a plan of it, see plan facing page 93, Berkeley Decoy.

It is placed in what was formerly the Deer Park of the Abbot of
Glastonbury, and had — or for that matter may have now, if by necessity
enforced — a faculty, giving extensive rights of stopping trespass, and
enforcing quiet in its neighbourhood should occasion demand. In the
vicinity of the Decoy are the remains of the Fish House and Stews,
that, together with the wildfowl obtained in the neighbourhood, supplied
the refectory of the Monks of Glastonbury and the table of its Ai)hot.

154 '^^^ BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

It unfortmiately cannot be proved that this Decoy existed in times
when the Abbey of Glastonbury flourished, as it is not mentioned in the
contemporaneous records that speak of the Fish Houses, Eel and Fish
Stews — the Deer, Swans, Herons, and Wildfowl of Sharpham and Meare.
The fact that the Decoy is in the Abbot's Park noiu, of course does not
prove it existed therein in the days of the Abbey, though local tradition
asserts positively that it did. This pool, once a very lucrative one, is
exactly similar to those at Berkeley Castle, the latter having been copied
from it.

Sliapwick, 5^ miles to the W. of Glastonbury, near the north slope
of the Polden Hills, and not far from Sedgemoor, on Shapwick Heath,
is a Decoy, which is still occasionally worked, belonging to Mr. G.
Warr)', of Shapwick House, Bridgewater. In consequence, however, of
shooting being carried on near the pool, the fowl are too much disturbed,
and do not resort there in any number ; so that the working of it cannot be
called successful, and is, indeed, but occasional. This Decoy was made by
William Chancellor in 1S50, and after his death it was never properly
supervised.

It has four pipes, and resembles the Decoy at Sharpham as well as
those near it at Sedgemoor.

King's Sedgemoor, 4 miles SW. of Glastonbury, and close to the south
slope of the Polden Hills, within a mile and a half of Walton, and between
that village and Compton Dundon, are three Decoys.

These pools are but a quarter of a mile from one another, and are situ-
ated on the vast swampy plain of King's Sedgemoor, before described.
They are on the estate of the Marquis of Bath, and from 1868 to 1882 were
rented, widi the adjoining shooting, by Admiral V. Hickley of Taunton.
On their late occupier giving them up, I took them for a season, but
they proved unsuccessful, and they are now in the possession of a local
farmer. The pools are only 30 to 40 yards square, each pool having four
pipes, one to every corner. The pipes are very short and narrow, being
but 45 yards in length on their curve, and only 10 feet wide at their
entrances.

The pools have no landing-places, and as Decoys are of the most
primitive description. It is the custom here to entice the fowl down wind
into the pipes, and the Decoymen will not venture near an up-wind pipe.

Hf STORY OF DECOYS.

IJ3

however thick the birds may be gathered round its mouth, and conse-
quently does not capture nearly as many fowl as if the Decoy was properly
worked in the usual way. The real fact is these pools are so very small
that even with burning turf it is hazardous to go to their windward side or
approach the up-wind pipes. The pipes being so tiny, they are but narrow
ditches, and are besides too closely surrounded by trees and brushwood.

The Sedgemoor Decoys are all three exactly the same in shape as,
and were originally planned from, the ancient pool at Sharpham Park
(see plan facing page 93), as were most of, if not all the other Decoys in
the county of Somerset. The Sedgemoor Decoys are nearly in line with
one another, and appear as clumps of trees on the plain.

The east — or as it is called, from a farm near it, the Ivythorn Decoy —
pool, that is the one farthest from Bridgewater and nearest Compton
Dundon, has proved the most successful one of the three : the west pool
has never done well. The east pool was made in 1825, the others shortly
after, all three by Joseph Everdell who is now living (1886) at Walton
village near the Decoys. He is still hale and hearty, though some eighty
years of age. In his younger days he blew off one of his hands with a fowl-
ing piece that burst in use, and the arm that suffered is adorned with a
bright steel hook. Old Joe, as he is locally called, is a fine specimen of a
stout, though weather-beaten Decoyman, and the manner in which he can
still rush behind the screens, drive the birds, and kook them out of the
tunnel net and twist their necks, is astonishing, to say the least, as I can
testify from experience.

Admiral Hickley, who during his occupation of the Sedgemoor Decoys
kept a careful record of their doings, has kindly supplied me with the
following facts in reg-ard to them : —

"From 1868 to 1882, the combined average total resulting from
the three Decoys was 1,200 fowl, chiefly Mallard and Teal. The best
season was 1868-69, when near 3,000 birds were caught. The worst
1874-75, when only 157 were taken. In 1881-82, 2,000 fowl were
accounted for."

The Admiral remarks :

" Undoubtedly my best years were those with most variations from
frost to coarse southerly weather ; the more changeable, and I may say
generally detestable, the better."

156 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Mca)'e Decoy, 4 miles NW. of Glastonbury. — In the low-lying lands
near Mearc, through which runs the River Brue, is the site of the ancient
lake of Meare, thus described by Leland in 1538, and on the borders of
which the Decoy of this name was situated.

" The Meare," says Leland, "is at high waters in winter a 4 miles in
cumpace, and where it is lest, a two miles and an half, and most communely
3 miles. This lak or mere is a good mile yn length, and at the ende of it
toward west, it cummith again in alve^wi, and going about a mile, it brekith
into 2 armes whereof the one goith to Highebridge, the other to Rookes-
bridge, and so the armes goith asundre to the sea by crekes."

From this description it would appear that originally the pool at Meare
was so wide that it would cover the present site of the Meare Decoy, which
is just within one mile N. of the eastern end of the village of Meare. The
ground to the north of the village is rather steep, so that the margin of the
Meare would have been within a quarter of a mile (perhaps within a furlong
in most parts) of the road through the village.

This mere was partially drained in monastic times ; but subsequently,
from neglect of the channels cut for that purpose, it again reached
its original dimensions, and the neigbourhood became swampy. Under
these circumstances no Decoy could well have existed there at that period,
and its construction must have taken place subsequently to the last drainage
of the moor, for which an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1801 ; though
the works reclamation do not appear to have been executed until 1807.

As the Meare Decoy is not mentioned by Collinson in his " History of
Somersetshire" (1791), this rather points to its construction after the
completion of the drainage in the early part of the present century, or
simultaneously with it. At the same time it should be noted that the
neighbouring Brent Marsh, in which are situated the Decoys of Cheddar,
Nyland and Stoke, all mentioned by Collinson, was drained under an Act
of Parliament passed in 1802. All these lowlands of Somersetshire, were,
until well drained, liable to frequent floods, being several feet below the
level of the high water springtides.

In a description of the manor of Glastonbury, including the site of the
above mentioned Decoys, given by John de Glaston, sometime after 1335,
no mention, as may be expected, is made of any Decoys.

" The Meare Pool was NW. of Godney, between Lower Godney and

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 157

Meare. Besides this, there were several lesser pools called Hachemere
and Bordenweare (in which was an Eelery), Lichelake, and Cockswere.
The latter was rented in 1516 by John Gyblat, at twenty shillings a year.
There was also another pool called Jameswere rented at 13s. \d.. in the
time of Henry VII., but which was in the hands of the Abbot in the
time of Henry VIII. In these pools swans were kept, and they were
frequented by Herons, Geese, Ducks and other wildfowl."*

In the survey of the temporalities of the Abbey of Glastonbury after
its dissolution (1553) the mere is noticed as follows : —

' There ys appertej-nyng vnto the sayde manor one fysshing called the
Mere, which ys in circuite fyve miles and one myle and a halfe brode."

" Also there ys a gaine of Swannes apperteynyng vnto the same water
whiche were allwayes belonging vnto the sayde atteynted monasterye of
Glastonburye, and vewed upon the survey to nombre of xl couple. Also
there were vewed at this present survey certeyne heronsewes, which have
alwayes used to brede there to the numbre of iiij."

Meare Decoy is now the property of Mr. Austin of The Abbey,
Glastonbury, who worked it for some years, but not successfully, owing
to its pro.ximity to game coverts and the consequent disturbance from
shooting. It is now disused.

At Compton Dtindon, 5 miles S. of Glastonbury, is an old Decoy
pool which has been long disused, but can still be traced. It is situated
i^ miles north of Somerton, near the River Gary, and close to the
boundary of Somerton parish. It is on the estate of the Earl of Ilchester,
in whose possession the land has been for 200 years.

The churchwarden of Somerton informs me that it must have
been at one time of considerable importance, as it appears from an old
deed in his possession, with a copy of which he has kindly favoured me,
that in 1 769 it was let to John Witch for seven years, at a yearly rental of
;^30, with some strict covenants as to its being kept in repair, and the usual
number of Decoy ducks, about three score couple, were to be maintained.
It was also provided that the Earl of Ilchester, the owner, was to be " at
all times during the said term accommodated with such fowl as he shall
require for his own consumption at the price of one shilling a couple for

* John De Glaston, Hist., ii. p. 316.

158 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

small (Teal and Wigeon), and one shilling and fourpencc a couple for large
fowl (Wild-Duck), or the usual price paid, whenever the same shall be
sent for."

In this covenant the Decoy is alluded to as an ancient one.

Allcr. — A mile W. of Langport, north of the River Parrot, from which
it is distant a quarter of a mile, and south of King's Sedgemoor, there was
formerly a Decoy, on land known as Aller Moor, then the property of Sir
Alexander Hood. It had originally six pipes, subsequently reduced to four,
and the pool was between one and two acres in extent. It was given up
about 20 years ago in consequence of the continued decrease of fowl owing
to the cultivation of waste land in the neighbourhood, and its proximity to
the railway, from Yeovil to Durston. The trees and brushwood have
been cleared away, and the ground is now open like the rest of the
surrounding moor, the pond alone remaining, and that reduced in size.

At one time this Decoy was carefully looked after, and was very
productive. The widow of a former lessee, now aged 86, states that
she well remembers her husband getting sometimes 20 dozen fowl in a
day, and that " hagglers " used to come from all parts and sometimes
paid £20, for what they carried off. Another old resident in the parish
recollects as a boy seeing the Decoy covered with wildfowl " like the
dressing spread over a field." He had seen cartloads carried away, and
passing to or from the Decoy could often see 1,000 Ducks over his head.
The present rector of Aller, the Rev. J. G. Nicholson, who kindly favoured
me with this information, adds that he remembers seeing the Decoy in
1858, when it was still worked, but its yield had then greatly declined. It
is now numbered with things of the past.

Godncy. — On a farm in the hamlet of Godney, 3I- miles NW. of Glas-
tonbury, in the parish of that name, and belonging to Mr. Sherston of
Evercreech, is a field on Godney Moor which is known as " The Old
Decoy." Tradition points to the former e.xistence here of a Decoy, of
which nothing but the name remains : and, in reply to my inquiries, Mr.
Sherston was unable to supply any information concerning it.

Westbury Decoy, \\ miles W. of Westbury, on the N. bank of the
Axe. — This Decoy is placed within 400 paces of the Stoke Decoy, on its
SE. side in the direction of Wells. The two pools of Westbury and Stoke
being so close together, are alluded to as one Decoy, by Collinson (" Hist.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 159

Somerset," iii. p. 417, 1791) who writes — "Westbury is pleasantly situated
under the southern ridge of the Mendips, 4 miles from Wells, and on the
road thence to Axbridge.

" The lands are mostly pasture. The River Axe divides this parish
from Wookey and Wedmore. Here is a large Decoy pool."

Stoke Decoy, three-quarters of a mile SW. of Stoke Rodney, and 5
miles WNW. from Wells, situated on the N. bank of the River Axe.
Probably not constructed until after 1802, in which year an Act was
passed for the drainage of the extensive marshes that bordered the river,
and which previously used to be under water nearly all the winter,
rendering the working of a Decoy impracticable. However, after the
Decoy was made, a subsequent and more complete system of drainage
destroyed it.

Little remains now of this Decoy, or the last one described, save their
outline and the Decoymen's cottages.

Nyland Decoy, one mile and a quarter W. of Draycot, on a tribu-
tary of the River Axe, is thus referred to by Collinson (" Hist. Somerset,"
iii. p. 606, 1 791). " Nyland Hill, rising abruptly out of the valley, has a
picturesque appearance. Near it is a very large Decoy pool, in which a
great number of Wild-duck, Teal, Wigeon, Sea-pheasants (Pintail), and
other fowl are captured."

This Decoy has long been disused, but distinct traces of its formation
are now left. It was close to the .SW. slope of Nyland Hill, and the
Decoyman's cottage is still standing.

Cheddar Water, \h miles SW. of Cheddar, and \\ miles S. of Ax-
bridge, on the north bank of the Axe, there was formerly a Decoy, where
the stream called Cheddar W^ater joins the former river. It has long-
ceased to be worked, and its outline can now scarce be traced.

These last four Decoys all lie within \\ miles S. of the railway from
Wells to Axbridge.

Kenn Moor, 2 miles SE. of Clevedon. — In the parish of Kenn, and
about 2\ miles NNE. of Yatton, is a farm known as "The Decoy Pool
Farm," whereon, many years ago, a Decoy existed in the low meadows
bordering the stream which flows from Tickenham to Clevedon, these
meadows being often flooded during the winter months. The Decoy,
however, has long been abandoned, not having been worked since 1820,

i6o THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

as a few years previously (1813), an Act was passed for the enclosure of
waste lands in this part of the county, which destroyed its avocation.

Phelps (" Hist. Somerset," vol. i. p. 49), writing at the beginning of
this century, thus alludes to the Decoy : —

" The country is flat and marshy, and there is a large moor called
Ken Moor, adjoining to that of Nailsea, in which is a Decoy pond, these
levels being frequented by great numbers of Aquatic fowl."

Decoys in the County of Stafford.
Decoys in rise. Decoys not in tise.

None. I Chillington.

Chillington, near Wolverhampton, the property of Mr. Walter T. C.
Giffard, consists of two pipes attached to a large lake of 100 acres. It
was constructed by Mr. W. Giffard, the uncle of the present proprietor,
in the year 1825, and was regularly worked up to 1883-4 ; but now, owing
to the amount of repair necessary, is at present discontinued.

The best season here realized 800 fowl ; but Mr. Giffard informs the
Author, the takes have not of late years approached to near that figure.

i6i

HISTORY OF DECOYS— {co;^fi)/u^c/).

CHAPTER XIII.

Decoys in the County of Suffolk.

This county, at the beginning of the present century, was well stored
with wildfowl. Though its chief extent consisted of well-cultivated land,
still it had immense tracts of waste and marsh, that occupied nearly all the
county at its NW. corner, and whicli extended from Newmarket, on the
borders of Cambridgeshire, to the confines of Norfolk, near Thetford and
Brandon ; in the vicinity of which latter town was Lakenheath Fen and its
Decoy. This uncultivated portion comprised, as stated by Mr. Young in
his agricultural survey (1804), no less than ioc,ooo acres. There was also
a considerable amount of low land and marsh that bordered the extensive
estuaries of the Aide, Deben and Orwell rivers, and which chiefly lay
between Woodbridge, Orford, and Saxmundham.

In this district we find several Decoys existed, the majority of which
still remain and do fairly well.

Though Suffolk does not contain the broads and rivers of Norfolk,
nevertheless, the estuaries of the rivers mentioned, as well as that of the
Stour on its southern boundary, are so large, and penetrate so far inland,
that Wildfowl are always somewhat numerous in its SE. portion. To the
NE. extremity of the county, is Fritton Lake with its Decoys, and to the
NW. the fens of Brandon, Lakenheath, and Mildenhall still exist, though
of course much reduced in area within the past 50 years.

I ken

Chillesford
Orwell Park

Decoys

in use.

N acton (2)
Fritton (2)

Decoys not in use.
Lakenheath I Flixton

Benacre Worlinpham

Friston ' Campsey Ash

Brantham

l62

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Ikeu, 5 miles SSE. of Saxmundham, on the Sudbourne Hall Estate,
and 7 miles E. of Wickham Market, formerly belonging to Sir Richard
Wallace, Bart., and now the property of Mr. Hey wood. The Decoy is
situated near the source of the estuary of the River Aide, on its south
bank, and has six pipes.

The I ken Decoy has been of late very successful. It is in a quiet
situation, about 300 yards from a road, and that a country lane, half a mile
from the River Aide, and the land round it is in the owner's hands,
which being attached to the Iken Hall Farm is kept very quiet, and
it is the intention of the owner of the estate to continue to act thus for the
sake of the Decoy.

No pheasants are turned into the Decoy wood, but it is shot through
once a year for stray birds from the neighbouring coverts, and the
Ducks are put out of the Decoy, before the wood is shot, early the same
morning. The Decoy comprises 16 acres. The pond itself is 2 acres.
The remaining 14 acres being marsh and underwood. The date when
this Decoy was formed cannot be ascertained, but it is shown on an estate
plan made in 1807, and it is conjectured to have existed long previous to
this. Many years ago it was fitted with nets for catching Pochard, as
described at page 85.

Table. — Showing Kill from 1878 to 1885 at the Iken Decoy.

Season.

Duck.

Teal.

Wigeon.

Various.

Totals.

1878 and 1879

592

719

98

.

1,409

1879 and 1880

846

1,661

331

8

2,846

1880 and 1S81

634

948

72

I

1.655

1881 and 1882 1

362

707

161

—

1,230

1882 and 1883

596

720

206

—

I>S22

18S3 and 1884

920

638

168

10

1.736

1884 and 1885

1,538

5°9

231

7

2,285

Totals...

5,488

5,9°2

1,267

26

12,683

Cliillcsford Decoy, on the same estate, but 3 miles SW. of the last

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 163

described, has not been a success of late years, owing to less care being
paid towards keeping it quiet, its more successful neighbour at /kc7i
having monopolized so much attention and interest.

It is, however, not in such a favourable position as is the one at
//r;/, the public road, on which there is a great deal of traffic, being but
300 yards distant, and the village of Chillesford only a quarter of a mile.
There is also a steam corn mill in its vicinity. The opinion of the
Decoyman is, nevertheless, that if this Decoy had as much care and
seclusion bestowed upon it, as is the case at Ikcn, it would improve gieatly
in its results.

The Decoy is close to Butley Creek, a tidal estuary, that unites with
the River Ore, some 2 miles above Orford Haven. Its size is 19 acres.
The pond 2 acres, the remaining space being underwood and marsh, as is
the case at Iken. Its age is unknown, but it also appears on the estate map
of 1S07. Its yearly average is from 200 to 300 fowl.

Oj'-well Park Decoy. — About fifty or sixty years ago a Decoy was
constructed at Levington Heath, near Orwell Park, by Sir Robert Harland.
It is four acres in extent, and when in full working order had five
pipes. The present owner of the estate. Colonel George Tomline,
worked it for many years, and then gave up doing so for a time. He
states that the largest number of fowl he ever captured in one year was
3,000. In 1853, 2,380 were taken; in 1854, 2,279; i" i855. 1.803;
the total number of Ducks secured in eighteen years being 27,991, of
which 5,711 were Wigeon. At the present time only one pipe is worked,
in which during the season of 1SS4-85 more than 700 Ducks were taken
by the end of November, but Colonel Tomline is now constructing a
second pipe with the assistance of one of the Skeltons. There are some
pinioned Wigeon here which breed freely, and the young birds arc quite
tame. A curious circumstance is, that although the Decoy is within
300 to 400 yards of the Felixstowe Railway, the wildfowl appear to take
no notice of it. In sharp weather there are great numbers of fowl in
this Decoy, and Colonel Tomline has seen thousands assembled on the
ice, and informs me he has lately met with such success that he intends
fitting up the disused jaipes again.

This Decoy is 5 miles SE. of Ipswich, and a mile from the north
bank of the River Orwell, here a wide tidal estuary. It is three-quarters

i64 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

of a mile NE. of Nacton, and, notwithstanding tlie adjacent railway, is
admirably positioned as a Decoy.

Nacton Decoys. — There are two ponds here on Nacton Heath, the
property of Admiral Sir George Broke Middleton, Bart., of Broke Hall,
one a small one of about an acre, for Teal, with two pipes, and another,
almost joining it, of lo acres with six pipes, two of which are
not now used. Nothing is known with certainty of the age of these
Decoys. The present lessee of Broke Hall, Mr. Edward Banbury, is of
opinion that the number of Ducks visiting the spot is nothing like so large
as formerly, though in the late season (1884-5) 5oo ^o^l were taken in
one week, and as many as 1,700 in the season.

The Decoys are 2\ miles SE. of Ipswich, in the parish of Fo.xhall,
and are sometimes spoken of as the Bixley or Purdis Hall Decoys. They
are 2\ miles from the River Orwell, on its north bank, and three-quarters
of a mile N. of the Felixstowe Railway.

Fi'itton. — The lake at Fritton, 5 miles SW. from Yarmouth, and 6
miles NW. of Lowestoft, is 3 miles in length, with an average width of 300
yards, and surrounded by large oak woods, a great attraction to the Ducks
by reason of the acorns. Eight Decoy pipes are now in use, but the
remains of thirteen others now disused are still visible, making twenty-one
in all.

The only pipe worked on the north side of the lake, and that but
occasionally, is in the parish of Fritton, at the Hall Farm. Lieut-Colonel
Leathes, of Herringfleet Hall, works three pipes (formerly five) at the
Herringfleet or western end of the lake, and Sir Savile Crossley four more
at the Ashby or east end, where there was originally a group of seven.
Colonel Leathes says that he has no idea when his Decoy was first made,
but that it is certain it has existed over 200 years, and that it has been
worked by his family 160 years.

When John Fisk (the old Decoyman previous to 1848) made what he
called " a good haul," Colonel Leathes says the stone pavement in the
courtyard at the hall, which is close to the lake, used to be covered from
end to end with Ducks taken in one day ; it took 600 fowl to do this, and
he could often average 200 Ducks per day for weeks ; and Colonel Leathes
also tells me, he recollects 600 Ducks beincr caught several nights in
succession, and this at the Herringfleet Decoy alone, whilst equal takes

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 165

were being- made at the Ashby end of the lake. Within the last fourteen
years over 2,000 ducks have been taken at each end in one season, but
lately the average has not been 1,000 ; in 1S77-78 the take was very small.
Success depends entirely upon the season and weather. Large numbers
have been captured in November and March, but January and February
are, as a rule, the best months.

About 1 8 20 Colonel Leathes' Decoy used to pay ^300 per annum,
after deducting all expenses. Duck and Mallard formed the largest portion
of the fowl ; then, in order, Wigeon, Teal, Pintails and now and then a few
Pochards ; Shovellers rarely of late, a few Goosanders and a Gadwall or
two. The proportion of the sexes seemed pretty even, but sometimes,
though rarely, Mallards were taken without Ducks. There can be no
doubt, says Colonel Leathes, that railways, threshing machines, and
drainage, have greatly decreased the numbers of fowl of late years ; but
the great evil has been the flight shooting up to the very banks of the
Decoy.

In Colonel Leathes' Decoy, or, properly speaking, his end of the lake,
all the pipes being on its south side they cannot work with a northerly
wind ; which is a great disadvantage. The practice has been to work this
Decoy about sunrise and sunset ; but often on a moonlight night (especially
when the Ducks had been well fed, and did not go on flight in consequence)
a great number of birds have been taken, and old John Fisk used to say
there was no time better than quiet moonlight nights.

There is a portrait of a large Newfoundland dog at Fritton Hall,
painted by Cooper, with the Decoy as a background, which many years ago
was a celebrated Decoy dog ; but generally a small dog is used, with the
occasional addition of a red handkerchief round its neck. Ferrets are
hereabouts by some esteemed even more than dogs, but being short-lived,
they die almost as soon as they have completed their training.

At the Ashby, or eastern, end of the lake, opposite to Colonel
Leathes', Sir Savile Crossley, Bart., works four pipes. There is nothing
known as to the date of the construction of his group of pipes, which
doubtless are as old as those belonging to Colonel Leathes. The fowl
taken are likewise Duck, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail and Shoveller (the latter
rarely) ; Pochards are seen in great numbers, but they are rarely caught.
The best months are November and December for Duck ; March for Teal

1 66 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

and W'igeon. In this part of the Lake more males are said to be taken
than females, perhaps eight out of twelve are males ; and many instances
have occurred of Mallards being taken without Ducks. The number of
fowl caught since the year 1850 is known, and Sir S. Crossley, Bart., has
kindly furnished some records. In 1867-8, 2,278 fowl were taken. In
1869-70, 1,483; 1866-7, 1. 130; 1874-5. 1,104; ^864-5, 1,063; 1868-9,
1,045; i878-9> 1.533; 1879-80, 2,411; 1884-5, 2,048; 1885-6, 953.

In 1884-5 some sharp weather set in about the 20th of November,
and resulted in 556 ducks being caught in three days, the catch on
November 24 being 307.

The usual, and most successful, method of working Colonel Leathes'
Decoy pipes is, as said, by night. I will further allude to it, as it is one
that the majority of Decoymen have never heard of.

Colonel Leathes says : —

" I need not mention to )-ou that the rule is to work Decoy pipes
before flight time, about 3 p.m., and again in the morning. Of course, I
am aware that Duck, Snipe, Woodcock, etc., 'flight' every evening.

" Consequently Duck are absent from a Decoy by night.

" Every rule, however, has its exception, and old John Fisk, the last
of our clever Decoymen at Herringfleet, used to tell me that the great thing
is not to disturb the fresh fowl, on their arrival early in the season in the
Decoy. To let them assemble and get well on their feed, which should
be dross barley, Indian corn, and acorns if procurable. Then gradually to
begin and take the Ducks. That the Ducks, if well fed in the Decoy and
provided there is no ice to break, will later in the season relinquish their
usual flighting at dusk "

Colonel Leathes adds: " The fowl do, it is true, take a flutter round the
Decoy at sunset, but finding plenty of food always at hand for them in the
Decoy precincts, they at length prefer to remain therein both day and night,
till about the end of March when they leave in two big flights for the
summer. It was when the Duck ceased to flight, and on moonlight nights,
that old John Fisk used to make his big hauls of 100 or 200 fowl at one
drive, and 500 to 600 as the result of one night's Decoying."

This system of not flighting doubtless answers well on a large lake like
Fritton, with an abundance oi fowl on its waters and food at hand for them
both natural and artificial.

To ia.fr na^e. 16 7

Plan of Decoy with 8 Pipes.

SCA LE- 150 FT TO AN INCH.

100 so 0

I Ui M M H i-l

IPC

— 1=^

300

b=

wofc^t

Ish-u --"Water
Greerv- Land.
YeJZow-. Patlis.

LAKENHEATH & CALEDON.

Drawu ^y Author

Vincent Brooks Day&Sou.lttho

d

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 167

But in an ordinary Decoy, of an acre or so of water, the fowl will not
bring in any companions from their nightly haunts, unless they fly to these
spots from the Decoy, and so mix with and induce more birds to accompany
them to its seclusion on their return at dawn.

Lakenheath, on the borders of Norfolk and Suffolk, within half a mile
of the Decoy at Hockwold. It is north of Mildenhall, in Sedge Fen. The
date of the construction of this Decoy is unknown, but Mr. H. M. Upcher
ascertained that it was for several seasons worked by Williams (see
Wrangle), who hired it of Mr. W. Eagle. It was next taken by W.
Skelton, who left it in 1840, and shortly after made Lord Caledon's
Decoy in Ireland, in exact imitation of it. In one year Williams is said
to have cleared near ^700 by the sale of wildfowl taken at Lakenheath.
He used to send up a ton of Ducks to London twice a week in the
season. An old keeper living in the parish in 187S declared that he
once saw fully 3,000 fowl sitting outside this Decoy in the fen " waiting
for those inside to be taken to make room for them," as the Decoy was
so full "it looked as if one could not prick a pin in anywhere."

The Decoy has not been worked for more than thirty years, having
been abandoned when the railway was made from Brandon to Ely, and it
is now entirely grown up.

Mr. E. Fountaine, brother of the Rev. John Fountaine who made the
Narford and Westacre Decoys, informs me that to his knowledge as many
as 1 5,000 fowl had been taken at Lakenheath in one season.

The Lakenheath Decoy, though some 50 miles from the coast, was
probably the most successful one of its day, owing to its wild locality and
surrounding fens, which for miles on all sides were the resort of numberless
wildfowl. It lies within a quarter of a mile north of the G. E. Railway
from Brandon to Ely, on the south bank of the Brandon River, 7^ miles
west of Brandon, between Lakenheath and Mildenhall Stations.

This and the Hockwold Decoy were so close together that they inter-
fered with each other, though the latter was in Norfolk, just across the
border of the two counties. No records are procurable respecting the age
of the Lakenheath Decoy. (For a plan of it see page opposite.)

Benacre. — In 1880 the late Sir Francis Gooch had a Decoy pipe con-
structed on the Broad near his residence, Benacre Hall, 4^ miles NE. of
Wangford ; but soon after it was made the shooting was let, and the Decoy

1 68 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

in consequence was never used ; nor has it been worked since, the present
baronet, Sir Alfred Gooch, preferring to shoot the wildfowl which resort
there. This Decoy, which has but a single pipe, was planned by Page,
Decoyman to Sir Savile Crossley at Fritton Lake, and is on the verge of
the sea.

Friston, 3 miles SE. of Saxmundham, a mile N. of the River Aide,
and the same distance south of Friston, the remains of an old Decoy, long
disused, may here be seen. It lies to the left of the road leading from Alde-
buro-h to Snape and Friston, and is on the property of Mr. Wentworth of
Wentworth Castle. It has not been used for fifty years, and no particulars
concerning it are now available.

Branthani, i mile N. of Manningtree, near the inland extremity,
and on the north bank, of the Stour estuary. — This was a Dunbird or
Pochard pond, as well as possessing three Decoy pipes, and was ruined
when the Great Eastern Railway cut right through its immediate vicinity.
It is still a topic of conversation near Manningtree, amongst the old fowlers,
of how on one occasion 80 dozen Dunbirds were once taken at the Brantham
pond at one rise of the net.

Flixton, 2^ miles WNW. from Lowestoft.— The remains of an old Decoy
are to be found on a pool of some 16 acres at Flixton. The date of its
construction has not been ascertained, and though traces of the pipes are
still visible, Mr. Southwell was informed in 1878 that it had been then dis-
used for at least fifty years. It formerly belonged to the Morse family.

Worlinghaju, 7 miles WSW. of Lowestoft. — A Decoy existed here, of
which the Author has been unable to obtain any particulars.

Campsey Ash. — The same may be said of the Decoy here, \\ miles
SE. of Wickham Market. It is on the River Deben, and once formed
part of the belongings of Campsey Ash Abbey.

1 69

HISTORY OF DECOYS— (rw///////^^).

CHAPTER XIV.

Decoys in the County of Surrey.
Decoys in zise. Decoys not in Jisc.

Virginia Water.

t)

Ottershaw.
Pyrford.

Virginia Water. — This large piece of water is 23 miles distant
from London. On its north shore is what is known as the Decoy.
This consists of two pipes within 50 yards of one another, situated in a
dense overhanging bank of evergreens, and a third pipe or channel, now
disused, which was intended for a cage or trap-pipe, with a falling-door, as at
Hardwick. The latter, however, proving useless, was given up soon after
its construction.

The two pipes now in use are of small size, being but 45 yards in
length and 15 feet across their entrances. They are of very primitive
construction, and have no landings for the birds, or even banks for the dog
to run along.

The Qrrowth of everoreens is so high and close on all sides that the
pipes are quite sheltered from the winds suitable for working them, and
it is therefore only by haphazard any fowl are caught. The pipes
were laid out by the late head-keeper, Mr. Menzies, who took his ideas
from the Milton Decoy, near Sittingbourne in Kent, with the assistance of
its owner, Mr. Gascoyne.

Mr. Smith, the chief woodman at Windsor Park, who showed me
this Decoy, and who has it under his charge, related that during the
winter over 1,000 wild Ducks might be sometimes seen at one time on
Virginia Water, and now and then 100 to 150 fowl round the Decoy.

Mr. Smith uses but a couple of Decoy Ducks, and, from the
faulty construction of the pipes, rarely a Dog. He has, however, during

z

\-o THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

his superintendance of 20 years, on one occasion caught 35 Ducks at a
drive, and once 50 in a day. The anglers and skaters who visit the lake
and frequent the neighbourhood of the Decoy destroy anj' chance of its
being successfully worked.

The birds taken here are exclusively Duck and Mallard.

Ottershaiu Park, \ miles SW. of Chertsey.

The remains of an old Decoy are still visible on this estate, formerly
the property of Sir Thomas Colebrooke, Bart., but now belonging to Mr.
Laurence J. Baren.

I learn, however, from the bailiff, Mr. G. Coleman, who has lived on
the property for thirty-seven years, that it has not been worked within his
recollection.

And the late owner of the estate. Sir T. Colebrook, informs the
Author that there are no traditions existent connected with this Decoy.

Pyrford, \\ miles NNW. of Ripley, and 2 miles NE. of Woking.

In a wood of rather more than 18 acres in extent, and close to the
right bank of the River Wey, may be seen the site of an old Decoy, with its
pipes, five in number. It still bears the name of " The Decoy," although,
as I am informed by the Vicar, the Rev. Mr. Ridsdale, there is no one
in the parish who remembers its being used for that purpose.

Mr. George Pigot, who knows this old Decoy well from having once
rented the shooting on which it is situated from Lord Lovelace, the owner
of the estate, informs the Author " that the Decoy is now quite dry
and overgrown with herbage, but that the pool and its pipes are still to be
traced."

This Decoy was originally part of the property of Sir John Wooley,
Latin Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, who prided himself in having within
his own estate every possible appliance for the provision of his table, and
the wants of his household.

Thus, not far from the Decoy, is a place called the " Pigeon House,"
and there are still sio"ns of the sluices which were cut from the old bed of the
River Wey for the purpose of " Fish Stews."

The Decoy is surrounded by the River Wey, which here forms almost
an island on all sides of it save to the north.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 171

Decoys in the County of Sussex.

Decoys in use.
Firle.

Decoys not in tisc.

Tangmere.

Angmering.

Tortington.

Glynde.

Ratton.

Peasmarsh.

Firie, 4 miles SE. of Lewes.— This is the only Decoy in use in
Sussex. It is placed in Firle Park, the residence of Viscount Gage. It
consists of a piece of water of four acres, with only one Decoy pipe
attached to it.

The takes are small, and the pipe is used merely to supply the owner's
table. Some years ago, before the drainage of Pevensey Marsh, as well
as the low lands round Lewes, the Firle Decoy was far more successful
than is now the case.

This neighbourhood previous to its final drainage was much frequented
by Snipe, and within even the last half-dozen years as many as 500 Snipe
have been seen collected at a time on one field near Firle.

Tangmere, 3 miles NE. of Chichester. — A Decoy existed in this
parish, and near the borders of the parish of Aldingbourn. On an Ordnance
Map of 18 1 3 its exact position is shown on Aldingbourn Rise, near Castle
Hill.

The Decoy has been disused many years, and the .South Coast
Railway (Brighton to Portsmouth) goes right through the site of the pool.
The old " Decoy House " has been lately renovated by the Duke of Rich-
mond, but all traces of the Decoy itself have long since vanished. The
land is part of the ancient domains of Halnaker House, the ruins of which
are i-^ miles north of Tangmere village, and which was last inhabited by
the Countess of Derby before the estate was added to the Goodwood
property.

Besides the Decoy, there are various old Fish Stews in the vicinity of
Halnaker House, and which were, with the Decoy, appurtenances thereof.

172 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

At Angmc7-ing, 4 miles ENE. from Little Hampton, and about 3
miles E. of Arundel Castle, is a small Decoy the property of the Duke
of Norfolk, but not at present used. It has been in existence for over
a century. It was held for sixty-five years by a Dr. Knight, who was suc-
ceeded by a Mr. Snelgrove. It was next part of the Mitchelgrove estate,
which was purchased by the then Duke of Norfolk, from a Mr. Walker,
in 1832. In 1849 oi" 1S50 '"''^ Grace replanted it and made new pipes.
Two of these are of iron, and a third has wooden hoops for the netting.

It was disused as a Decoy in 1868, and has since that date only been
visited for shooting. The Decoy proper is about an acre in extent, and it
and the ponds adjoining are fed by natural streams.

No regular records have been kept of the fowl captured, but accord-
ino- to a statement of the late Decoyman, the largest number ever taken
at one time amounted to rather more than 50.

This Decoy was constructed to supply Arundel Castle with wild-
fowl, but as it had occasionally large takes when they were not required,
and at other times produced no birds when most desired, it was given up
to the sport of shooting instead of Decoying. The Decoy is within half a
mile of the village from which it takes its name.

The following letter (dated 1825), alluding to this Decoy, written by
the late Joseph Hume, M.P., the well-known statesman and author, to a
friend in Norfolk, is well worthy of insertion here : —

" There is a Decoy at Angmering, about 5 miles from Worthing and
the same distance from Arundel. It is a quarter-mile south of the Brighton
and Arundel road, and 3 miles from the sea. It has been established for
two centuries, and from November to March supplies all the neighbourhood
with Ducks, Teal, and Wigeon

" There were formerly four pipes, but there are only three now. The
pool is square, of about i acre, in a hollow surrounded by plenty of trees
of different kinds, and is a secluded, quiet spot. There is a small rill of
water runs down the hollow, and two or three large fishponds are on the
NE. of it, from which, one year with another, 8 cwt. of fish are drawn.

". . . . The Decoy pool has a strong spring of water in it, and they
have the power of raising the water 12 in. or 14 in. when required.

" One man has attended this Decoy for fifty years, and his son is now
assisting him.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 173

" They say that this Decoy is the best in the kingdom The

pipes are lower in the arch than those at Somerton in Norfolk. The sides
of the pool are enclosed by reeded walls, rising about 3 ft. from the edge of

the pool The insides of the reeded walls are all covered by ivy, so

that, when on the Decoy pool, nothing but ivy is seen.

"The birds leave the pool regularly at dusk, scattering themselves
over the country in every direction, and return in the morning before break
of day. The largest nuinber of birds ever taken in one day was 60."

Tortingtoii Decoy, <^\ miles SW. of Arundel.

There are the traces of another Decoy here, also on the property of
the Duke of Norfolk, and which estate was purchased by his Grace from
Mr. Montefiore.

It is close to the railway station of Ford. It is now a dry willow bed,
and the outline of the pool, said to be very ancient, can scarce be distin-
guished.

Glynde, close to Firle, and 3 miles ESE. of Lewes. — There was
formerly a Decoy here, on the estate of Viscount Hampden, but it has not
been in use for a century, and only the wood in which it was placed remains
to mark the spot.

Ration Decoy. — At Willingdon, 3 miles NW. of Eastbourne, on the
property of Mr. F. Thomas, there was formerly a Decoy. In conse-
quence of the drainage of the neighbouring levels and the great falling off
in the number of wildfowl captured, it was given up about forty years ago.

The pool was from 2 to 3 acres in extent and had three pipes. It is
now a reed bed, almost dry, and holding foxes.

Mr. W. Brodrick Thomas, the uncle of the present owner of Ratton,
informs me that he recollects this Decoy in working order, and that
his father kept a most accurate Decoy-book, which cannot unfortunately
now be found. He also states that his father inadvertently built some
cottages for his labourers close to the Decoy, which disturbed it con-
siderably, as, when the occupants cooked anything " savoury," every bird
left the pool at once.

Peasmarsh, 5 miles NW. of Rye, i mile N. of Peasmarsh village, and
i^ E. of Beckley. — This Decoy consisted of two large pools separated
by a high bank, one for Duck and another for Teal. Traces of four pipes
are still to be seen, but the wood in which the Decoy was situated has been

174 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

thoroughly drained, and so thickly planted, that traces of this formerly large
and successful Decoy are now hard to find.

It has not been in use for 60 years, and is placed partly in Peas-
marsh and partly in Beckley parish, south of the River Rother, on the
property of Mrs. Pomfret.

Dfxovs in the County of Warwick.
Decoys in itse. Decoys not in use.

Packington PTall. | Combe Abbey.

Packington Hall, 3^ miles SSE. of Coleshill.

At one end of a pool of 30 acres a Decoy with four pipes was con-
structed by Williams of Wrangle, in 1795. I am informed that the
average catch for the last twenty years has been about 140 head ; but the
Decoy is only worked to supply the owner's wants. It is the property of
the Earl of Aylesford.

Combe Abbey, 5^ miles E. of Coventry.

In the year 1845 a first-class Decoy was constructed here by William
Skelton. It has four pipes, and is placed close to the mansion, and is
surrounded by several acres of osiers and reeds, with a mixture of spruce
and other trees. The largest take in one year was 1,500 head, but of late
years the number of fowl taken has been much smaller.

At the present time it is not worked, the lessee, Mr. Loyd, having
recently removed the nets from the pipes, and expressed his intention of
not using the Decoy during the continuance of his lease, which expires in
1889. There is an extensive lake at Combe much frequented by wildfowl,
and the Decoy in consequence formerly did well, though, like all other
Decoys, it iell off in its takes of late seasons. T. Gilbert Skelton, son of
William .Skelton, told me he recollected his father, aided by himself,
once catching 106 Ducks at a drive in one of the pipes of this Decoy, in
the presence of the late Earls of Craven, and Sefton. This statement is
confirmed liy Mr. R. W. Craven.

To Hx/x nnaf. 1 7^

Plan of Decoy with 4 Pipes,

Scale— 1 20 FT to /in Inci

zooFeet

Yellow^ Paths.

COOMBE ABBEY.

OrawTv by AuUuir

Vincent Brooks Day & Son,,litli.o

HISTORY OF DECOYS. i75

Decovs IX THE County of Westmorland.

Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Lowther Castle.

Loivthei' Casllc. the residence of the Earl of Lonsdale ; 5 miles South
of Penrith. — In the Park at Lowther is an oval-shaped pool of about 3
acres, known as the " Decoy." No pipes are now discernible, nor do any
records exist of this Decoy, other than that it was once used for catching
Ducks.

It was the most northern Decoy in our Islands, and being adjacent
to various rivers, and not far from the English Lakes, as well as surrounded
by a wild and marshy country, was doubtless much frequented by wildfowl
in days gone by.

Decoys in the County of Wiltshire.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in tise.

Hampworth. | None.

Hanipii'orth, near Downton, a quarter of a mile from Hampworth Lodge,
the residence of Mrs. G. Morrison, and 11 miles SE. of Salisbury.

In the autumn of 1882 Mr. G. Morrison constructed a Decoy with
one pipe on a pool of about 4 acres, which has since been found to answer
well. No dog is used, and only one Decoy Duck which is changed from
time to time. The average annual take since its construction has been
about 100 fowl, the largest number taken in one season being about 150,
and the most ever secured at a catch 51. The owner believes that from
300 to 400 might be taken in the season if desired, for it is estimated that
there are often as many as 1,000 wildfowl on the water at one time during
the winter. The Decoy has, however, only been used just enough to
supply the house as wanted.

The waterhens are said to be very troublesome in giving the ducks
warning when they get wind of the keeper who works it. It is believed
that the ducks visiting this Decoy come from a long distance, as they often
appear so tired on alighting as to disregard all allurements for several days
on their arrival. The Decoy was constructed by the late Mr. G. Morrison
after his visiting the one at North .Stoneham in Hampshire.

176 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF DECOYS— (dw/^V/?/^^/).

CHAPTER XV.

Decoys in the County of York.

Yorkshire did not, like Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincoln, and Essex, boast
many Decoys, as only a small area of its surface was adapted to attract
wildfowl.

This portion was Holderness, in the East Riding, a district bounded
on the east by the German Ocean, on the south by the H umber, on the
west by the diYisions of Hunsley and Bainton Beacon, and on the north
by the wapentake of Dickering. Here were situated the principal Decoys
of the county, in the valley of the River Hull.

The fens of Holderness were 20 miles in length, and from 4 to 6
miles in breadth, and extended from 7 miles south of Bridlington to the
estuary of the Humber towards Patrington and Hedon, widening in their
course as they approached the tide.

The drainage of these fens was first undertaken on the eastern side of
the River Hull (where Meaux Decoy then flourished) in 1762, and an Act
of Parliament was obtained to enable the promoters of the scheme to do
so. Next came the "Beverley and Barmston Drainage Act," in 1798,
parallel to the last but opposite, on the west side of the River Hull. Then,
in 1800, the " Hertford and Derwent Drainage Act" still further reclaimed
the low marsh lands that bordered on Holderness, and a short time previous
to the last Act Spalding Moor, to the west of Holderness (on which was
Holme Decoy), and Walling Fen were drained and cultivated by private
enterprise.

In all 50,000 acres of fen, at a cost of / 190,000, were reclaimed in
this division of Yorkshire.

Excepting Holderness no part of the county in former times was
resorted to by wildfowl in large numbers.

As Yorkshire consists of so much arable land, mountain and heather,

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

^77

with a seacoast on one side only, and that devoid of ooze-banks, it is
naturally not much frequented by the aquatic species. Yet the most
favoured portions of the county for wildfowl are still the lowlands of
Holderness, and the shores of the Humber estuary. Long since, wildfowl
abounded in the marshes that circumscribe the estuary of the Tees, but
with the introduction of railways, blast furnaces, and steam vessels, they
have deserted that locality.

Decoys in use.

Hornby Castle.

Thirkleby Park.

Decoys not in use.

Coatham. Holme.

Escrick (2). Sunk Island.

Osgodby. Thorne.

Meaux. Goole.

Watton. Birdsall.

Scorborough. |

Hornby. — In the park at Hornby Castle, 5 miles NW. of Bedale,
are two Decoy ponds, one disused, and the other, till lately, the only
example of a Decoy in use in the county. The original Decoy was
constructed for the seventh Duke of Leeds, in 1854. It is 7 acres in
extent, and has the remains of four pipes. In 1882, the present Duke
moved the material of the pipes from the old Decoy to their new position.
The original Decoy is situated south of the Castle, between the Stone
Pond and the present Decoy, which is now in the Blessington plantation
close by.

The new pipes were excavated under the direction of Lord Fitz-
hardinge's Decoyman, from Berkeley Castle. The new pool is about 60
yards square, and the pipes are at the corners, as is the case at Berkeley
Castle and other Decoys in the west of England. The old Decoy was
found to be too large, the fowl keeping out of reach of the pipes and of
the Decoyman. The new Decoy, being much smaller, is more easily
managed, and is precisely similar to the one shown facing page 93.

The first pipe made at Hornby on the old Decoy was made by
Harrison, Capt. Healy's Decoyman at Ashby in Lincolnshire. Soon after,

A A

1/8 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

T. Gilbert Skelton made another at the NW. angle of the lake, and
lastly, old George Skelton (junior) and the Rev. Mr. Fountaine added a
third and fourth in 1856. Finally, in 1882, as stated, the present Duke
of Leeds removed the netting, screens, and hoops to the new Decoy hard
by, and completed it with four pipes. Among a variety of birds taken at
Hornby a Harlequin Duck once occurred, and was preserved by the late
Decoyman, Savage.

This Decoy averages from 300 to 400 ducks a season, chiefly
Mallard and Teal. On one occasion only has 1,000 birds been exceeded :
in that instance some 1,500 were taken by Barrett, the present Decoyman.
The late Decoyman once captured 250 fowl in a morning, and several
times 50 to 60 Duck and Teal have been taken in this Decoy at a drive.

The Hornby Decoy, like the one at Osgodby, was constructed owing
to the successes reported at Mr. Healy's Decoy, in the neighbouring county
of Lincoln. The owner of the Hornby Decoy related to me that the
Greek guide who was with Lord A. Hervey, Mr. H. Coore, and others, at
the time they were captured by brigands, when yachting in the Mediter-
ranean, and who arranged their ransom (and maybe captivity), visited
Hornby when being entertained in the neighbourhood.

Nothing he had previously been shown in England aroused his
interest so much as seeing the ducks decoyed.

The treachery and cunning exhibited stirred his national instincts,
and he is stated to have returned to his own country vastly impressed
with all he saw in the Decoy.

Perchance he considered whether something of the kind could not
be constructed to entrap rich, roving English sportsmen, without the neces-
sity of threatening death from behind a rock, ct la brigand.

Thirkleby Park, 3 miles S. of Thirsk. — I have lately (1885) constructed
a Decoy here. It consists of i acre of water and has 3 pipes, and
resembles in form Lord Lilford's in Northamptonshire, and is shown on
the plan facing page 55.

Coatham, near Redcar. — On the estate of the late Mr. A. H. Turner
Newconien, of Kirkleatham Hall, a Decoy was constructed in Coatham
marshes in 1S40. The area of ground enclosed for the purpose was about
3 acres, with a pool of two acres, the extent of water being occasionally
increased when the marsh was flooded.

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

179

There were four pipes, two of which only were in regular use, each 50
yards in length. The exact position of this Decoy may be described as on
the east side of the railway at Tod Point, between Eston and Redcar. and
almost directly opposite the present kennels of the Cleveland Foxhounds.

Some five-and-twenty years ago this Decoy was very productive, when
the Tees Bay and neighbouring marshes were much frequented by wildfowl,
as many as 100 Ducks and Wigeon having been taken at once in a single
pipe ; though on this occasion, owing to the weight of fowl enclosed, the net
broke and the greater number escaped. But after the erection of blast-

furnaces at Tod Point in 1872, and the proximity of the railway and ken-
nels, the wildfowl have deserted the spot, and the Decoy since that date
has been abandoned. Nothing now remains but the pool with a few
stunted bushes growing near it.

Escrick Park, 7 miles south of York, the seat of Lord Wenlock.
There were formerly two Decoys here, one of which, made by old George
Skelton, about 1830, with four pipes, was used until the year i860.
The formation of an island in the pool operated prejudicially, for fewer
fowl were subsequently taken, and it was eventually abandoned. Of the
other Decoy, situated in the park, some 200 yards only from the mansion,

i8o THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

nothing now remains but a stagnant pool overgrown with rushes, no trace
of the pipes being observable. Tradition, however, states that when in
working order, about 2,000 fowl were taken therein in a season. The more
recent Decoy is to be easily traced, its form being compact, well-shaped,
and planted. It is, however, though in the park, within 100 paces of a
high road. The iron hoops, remains of the screens, and the Decoyman's
hut, are still to be seen.

This Decoy was made for the late Lord Wenlock, and the present
owner of Escrick recollects seeing ducks caught in it when a boy.

Osgodby Hall, 3 miles east of Selby, formerly the property of Mr.
G. P. Dawson, but now belonging to Mr. Riley Briggs, possessed a
Decoy which was last worked in 1877. Situated at the north side of
the park in the centre of the estate, it had four pipes, and some years
ago answered very well, an average season, as I am informed by its owner,
producing some 1,600 to 2,000 fowl. Mr. Briggs states he has occasionally
seen as many as 1,500 birds on the pool at one time. If put into repair
and working order, this Decoy might again be worked with advantage,
as there is a large extent of water in the H umber estuary not far distant,
on which the fowl collect in winter, whence many would doubtless find their
way, as formerly, into the Decoy.

The Osgodby Decoy was originally planned about 1840 by Mr.
Edward Dawson, son of the former owner, after his seeing Mr. Healy's
Decoy at Ashby in Lincolnshire. It was found that there were more Teal
taken in the east pipe, and more Duck and Mallard in the south pipe, than
in any other. In the best season of which any record has been preserved,
there were captured i,Soo Duck and Mallard, besides 500 Teal and
Wio-eon. The last-named began to discontinue their visits about 18 years
ao-o. As many as 80 Duck have been taken in one pipe of this Decoy at
a single drive.

Between the years 1762 and 1800 four ancient Decoys ceased to exist
not far from Beverley, in East Yorkshire. These were — Meaitx, Holme,
Walton and Scarborough. No records of their age exist, or of the exact
date when they were discontinued.

Meatix. — This Decoy lies 2\ miles due east of Beverley, ij miles on
the east side of the River Hull, and a mile north-west of the once famous
Abbev of Melsa or Meaux, so closely associated with Beverley Minster,

HISTORY OF DECOYS. i8i

and so rich in historical traditions. It is also a mile west of the village ol
Meaux, and i| miles ENE. of Weel.

A few hundred yards to the west of the Decoy stands an old low
building, now used as a farm-house, and known as Butterbump Hall, a
name derived from the number of Bitterns which formerly bred in the
adjacent marsh. The Decoy stands at the edge of a large extent of low-
lying land, and must in past days have been almost surrounded by marsh
and v/ater.

Its decay as a successful Decoy would date from 1763, for in that year
(4 George III.) an Act was passed for draining the marshes in Holderness
that surrounded Meaux, and several more recent Acts, such as the Beverley
and Barmston Drainage Act of 1798,* for the same purpose still further
destroyed the avocation of this and other adjacent Decoys, by reclaiming
from the wildfowl their old feeding-grounds.

These marshes — or, as they are locally termed, Carrs — existed not
only at Meaux, but also at Scorborough and Watton, where the other
Decoys alluded to flourished, and which were not far distant.

The carrs extended from Beverley, to near Barmston and Bridling-
ton, and comprised 11,000 acres. The outline of the Meaux Decoy and

* "Beverley and Barmston Drainage Act, 1798.

" Satisfaction to he made for Decoys.

" Whereas Richard Savage Lloyd, Esquire, is or claims to be seised or possessed of a certain
piece of water and certain land at Watton contiguous thereto, which for many years last past
have been used as a Decoy for the catching of wildfowl :

" And whereas Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet, is or claims to be seised or possessed of a
certain other piece of water and certain land at Scorbrough contiguous thereto, which for
many years last past have been also used as a Decoy for the catching of wildfowl :

"And whereas the said Decoys will be rendered useless or greatly injured when the said
low grounds and carrs are drained and improved as directed by this Act, and by reason
thereof the said Richard Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles Hotham and their heirs respectively
will be deprived of receiving any or so much rent as they now respectively receive or are
entitled to account thereof: Be it therefore enacted that the said Commissioners shall make
such reasonable recompence and satisfaction to the said Richard Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles
Hotham respectively for the damages which 'they shall respectively sustain by the means
aforesaid as shall be agreed upon between the said Commissioners and the said Richard
Savage Lloyd and Sir Charles Hotham respectively, the said Commissioners in making such
recompence having regard to the probable improvement which the land in the Djcoys shall
respectively receive from the said drain igi when the same s'lall be effected."

i8:

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

its pipes is still plainly to be discerned, and it could even, if desired, be
again put in order for use.

It is evident the Meaux Decoy was not in existence in the days of
the monks of Meaux Abbey, or it would assuredly have been alluded to
in the writings of the time, which were both accurate and not few in
number in regard to the district.

Meaux Abbey was founded in 1 150, and its noble foundations broken
up on December 11, 1539, on the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry
VIII. In the History of Meaux Abbey, no mention is made of a Decoy

in connection with it, nor does such occur in the History of Watton Abbey,
where a Decoy also existed.

In the Histories of our Abbeys, the Deer, the Fish, and the Game are
all treated of, and the numerous artifices of the chase, but the subject of
Decoys is not entertained. In the Northumberland Household Book,
written at Leckonfield, within 3 miles of Beverley, and adjacent to
Meaux, no entry or mention is made of the Decoys, which most certainly
would have been the case had they then been in existence. The Book com-
mences from 151 2, and the Castle was pulled down in 1650. It gives
minute particulars of the purchase of " wildfowl " for my lord's own mess.
Thev were to be bought first-hand. Particulars and directions are also

HISTORY OF DECOYS.

183

given therein as to the taking of " Swans " to fatten " from my carrs of
Arrom," in which carrs, by the way, the Scorborough Decoy was situated.
So that ii the Decoy existed in those days some reference would surely
have been made to it, for its locality and the surrounding marshes then
belonged to the Earl of Northumberland, especially as all the minutiae are so
carefully entered in the Book, such as the prices of the various wildfowl,
and even a copy of the warrant sent to the swanherd. I make the above
remarks because it is popularly supposed that the Meaux and Watton Decoys
were either monastical belongings, or existed at the time of the monks,
and so were contemporary with the Northumberland Household Book.

WATTON DECOY iV?^^

r?r>., ,. -._.J3t»Kr-t—

Redshanks and one or two pairs of Garganeys still breed in these
carrs. Ruff, too, have been obtained several times in the breeding sea-
son about them, also Gadwall and other of our rarer Ducks.

Waitoti. — Mr. H. W. F. Ellis of Crowle, who has made careful re-
searches, informs me that this Decoy had an area of 1,000 acres of marsh
and water round it, and was very productive, yielding at times as many as
400 ducks daily before drainage sealed its fate.

The Decoy is situated 7 miles north of Beverley, between the high
road from Beverley to Driffield and the River Hull, and like Scorborough
Decoy, from which it is distant 4 miles in a northerly direction, it also lies
in the valley of the Hull river. The Watton Decoy exactly resembles the

1 84 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

one in Sharpham Park near Glastonbury, which latter is said to have been
in existence when Sharpham belonged to the Abbey of Glastonbury.

Scorborongh. — This, like the Watton Decoy, was once a very noted
one. It is situated 2\ miles NNE. of Beverley, on the west bank of the
River Hull, and in the low-lying land between the river and the high road
from Beverley to Driffield.

Though trees have grown up in and round it very thickly, still the pool
and the pipes are plainly visible, and it is evident that much care and
expense was in former times bestowed upon it. The site of the Decoy
was well chosen, for even now, when there is an overflow from the river
(formerly an annual, now an occasional occurrence), wildfowl resort to its
vicinity in considerable numbers.

Holme Decoy was contemporary in its decay with those at Meaux,
Watton, and Scorborough, and was placed on Spalding Moor, also in the
East Riding of York, and 5 to 6 miles SW. by W. of Market Weighton.

This district, and to the E. of it Walling Fen, formerly comprised a
large extent of wet moor and fen-land, and there are now several large
ponds in the neighbourhood, such as Hotham and Houghton ponds, where
wildfowl still assemble in considerable numbers in severe weather.

Allen, in his "History of Yorkshire" (1829), alluding to Spalding Moor,
remarks that, " People then living could recollect when this moor and its
neighbourhood was one great morass, that extended from Holme upon
Spalding to Howden on the River Ouse, 10 miles distant."

In my notes of these old Holderness Decoys, I have been most
kindly assisted by Mr. F. Boyes of Beverley, who not only supplied me
with useful information, but, by surveying the pools, has enabled me to give
correct outlines of their shape.

Sunk Island. — A Decoy was constructed here about the close of the
seventeenth century, but owing to its exposed position neither trees nor
underwood could be induced to grow round it for shelter, and conse-
quently it was abandoned soon after it was completed. (Allen's " York-
shire," 1829.)*

* In " Leland's Itinerary " is a letter from the Rev. Francis Brokesby, dated in the year
171 1, in which an account is given of the state of Sunk Island at that time, and in which
this Decoy is alluded to. Mr. Brokesby says : " Sunk Island was spoken of as a novelty when
I first went into Yorkshire, forty-four years ago (1667), a little after which time this Island
was bestowed on Colonel Anthony Gilby, then EepiUy-Governor of Hull, by a grant from

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 1S5

It was admirably placed, as the neighbouring estuary of the H umber,
a vast extent of water and ooze, was then the resort of immense congrega-
tions of wildfowl, and is even now in hard weather. There is at this date
no trace of the Decoy, though on some maps a " Decoy Creek " is marked.
Sunk Island is in the southern division of Holderness in East Yorkshire,
on the north bank of the Humber, and 12 miles SE. by E. from Hull.
This island was gradually reclaimed from the sea ; 200 years ago it con-
sisted of but 800 acres, and a broad navigable channel separated it from
the mainland, over 2 miles in width. Now (1885) the so-called island (for
the channel has disappeared long since) comprises 7,000 acres of Crown
land in a high state of valuable cultivation. In 1829 Allen describes
Sunk Island as containing 4,000 acres.

Thome Waste is 4 miles S. of Goole, and in the West Riding of
Yorkshire. There existed a productive Decoy here, north of the
Keadby Canal, on the moor some 2 miles west of Crowle, which small
town is situated on what is known as the Isle of Axholme, at its NW.
extremity, near the River Don, just over the border of Yorkshire, in
Lincolnshire. There are no records of the Decoy or its successes, but
Mr. Henry Ellis, of The Manor House, Crowle, distinctly recollects it
in vise, and to him I am indebted for what few notes I can supply of
it, as well as for the interesting account of Thorne Waste appended.

In 1836 the Decoy was in full work ; it ceased to be used about the
year 1840, as by that time a considerable extent of the moor had been
drained. The Decoy was an acre in extent, and had three pipes as well as
a Decoyman's hut close by. Its site is now almost undistinguishable, and
is covered with small beech-trees, and various mosses and other products of
the moor ; but Mr. Ellis tells me that, knowing its exact position, he has no
difficulty in finding it. In the " History and Topography of the Isle of

King Charles II. It is reported to have been at first a great bank of sand (of which there are
still many to be seen in the Humber at low water), that thereat other mud and matter stopped
till it arrived at its present bigness. The island, when it was given to Colonel Gilby, was
never quite overflown but at spring tides. At neap tides it was constantly dry. It is reckoned
about seven miles about, and is separated from Holderness by a channel nearly two miles

broad There are near 2,000 acres enclosed by higli banks to keep out the sea

Some years ago they made a Decoy upon the Island, which is plentifully stored with wildfowl,
especially Ducks and Teal, but it turns to little account for want of trees, which will not grow
well here, as the ground is too salt."

B B

iS6 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Axholme " (an island formed by three rivers, the Trent on the east, the
Don on the north and west, and the Idle on the south), by the Rev. W. B.
Stonehouse, M.A., written in 1839, p. 422, the author remarks : —

" A small Decoy yet lingers on part of the common (parish of Crowle),
where wildfowl are occasionally taken, just sufficient to remind the modern
sportsman what a diversion the ancient fowler found in these extensive and
wild resorts of the feathered race."

Before the drainage of the marsh lands adjacent to Thorne, at Hat-
field and Goole Moors, by Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, of drainage fame,
who having spent ^'200,000 in doing so, died in poverty at Crowtfees,
near Thorne, the district abounded in wildfowl of every description. It
was near here, at the mouth of the Trent, that the last Avocet's nest found
in England was discovered in 1840. Thorne Waste or moor lies 8 miles
south of the River Humber at Goole, and between the small towns of Crowle
and Thorne, and on the north side of the Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

This waste is an extensive morass of about 6,000 acres, 500 of
which have been apportioned to Crowle; its depth averages 12 to 15 feet,
and in some places many more ; a fact attributable to the fine qualities
of the soil beneath. Below are the remains of an extensive forest, con-
sisting of oak, beech, birch, willow, and other trees, and which forest
evidently at one time covered an immense tract of ground in this part of
the country. Generally speaking, these trees are in a remarkable state
of preservation, and the wood is used for posts, rails, and laths.
The destruction of the forest will in a measure, no doubt, account
for the existence of the moor. Anyhow, its formation is an interesting
subject, and was probably aided by a subsidence of the land, for at the
depth at which these trees are found they could not by any possibility now
grow. In various parts of the moor, especially the central, are small lakes
or pools of water, upon the margin of which Wild Ducks and the Black-
headed Gull [Lartis rirdibiindus) breed. Wild Geese also frequent the
moor, as do Plover and other birds. Several kinds, however, that formerly
made their appearance are not now to be seen. Amongst reptiles, the
adder or viper {Peltas derus), and the common snake [Natrix torqtiatd), are
to be noted. Dragon flies abound near the pools, and, on a still summer or
autumn evening, what are here called " midges " (the Culex reptans a very
small black gnat with transparent wings), are very troublesome, not so much

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 187

on account of their bite, but because of their creeping over the skin of the
face and neck. Numerous bog plants and mosses are to be found on the
moor ; but, through the cutting of drains and ditches, many of these are
gradually becoming extinct. The Droscra, Sundews, the Ericcs, Heaths, the
Andromeda Melampyrum, or Cow Wheat, and Myrica Gale, are abundant,
as are various Carices, but not the Osmunda. This moor is being gradually
reclaimed by the process of warping and other means, and from the peat,
charcoal is now extensively manufactured and sold for agricultural purposes.

New Zealand. — In 1880 the late Mr. Durham, who owned a large part
of Thorne Waste, partly constructed a small Decoy on a portion of the
moor known as " New Zealand," near Thorne. It was made on the plan
of the Decoy at Ashby, but was never properly worked, and is now out of
order.

Goole Old Decoy. — A Decoy that has not been worked since the early
years of the present century, existed near the south hank of the Dutch
River, near its junction with the H umber at Goole, 6 miles NNE. of
Thorne, on a large extent of marsh, in those days known as Greenland. A
farm, called the Decoy Farm, still marks its position ; and a house close by
the latter, at one time an inn, had for its sign " The Dog and Duck " — a
name possibly suggested by the vicinity of the Decoy. Some few years
back the shape of this Decoy was easily to be traced, but it is now
grown up and lost to view.

Goole New Decoy. — Another Decoy 4 miles west of the latter is shown
on several old maps the Author has examined, also on the south bank of
the Dutch River.

Being marked new Decoy it is probable it was either started in rivalry
of the last mentioned, or else to take its place on Goole, soon after the
commencement of the present century, increasing in size from a hamlet to
a busy town.

Birdsall. — The site of a Decoy is shown on old maps at Birdsall, near
North Grimston, 6 miles SSE. of Malton.

This was not a pipe Decoy. It was near Birdsall House, the seat of
Lord Middleton, to whom the estate belongs, and who tells me it was a
trap or cage Decoy (see page 71), and that it has long since been discon-
tinued and is now nearly silted up.

i88 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

HISTORY OF Y^^COY'^— {continued).

CHAPTER XVI.

SCOTLAND.

Curious to say, I have no evidence that a Decoy was ever worked in
Scotland, either for amusement or profit. That Decoys, especially on the
east coast, with its large estuaries and feeding grounds, could be successfully
established in Scotland is beyond doubt.

None of my friends or correspondents ever heard of a Decoy in
Scotland, though many of them, especially the late talented Author and
Sportsman, Mr. J. Colquhoun, express surprise at their non-existence, as
well as remark upon the many favourable localities suitable to their con-
struction.

It is true that a Decoy was commenced by Major R. Chadwick, of
Moy, near Findhorn Bay, north of Forres, but it was never completed.

1 89

HISTORY OF DECOYS— (6W///////^^/)

CHAPTER XVII.

IRELAND.

County

Cork Longtieville.

) t

. Doneraile Court.

Down .

Lough Beg.

Galway

Eyre Court.

M •

Clonfert.

Kildare

. Ballynakill.

)» • •

Lyons.

Kilkenny

. Desart House.

Louth .

. Clyde Farm.

II * •

. Lisrenny.

])

II

Beaulieu.

i>

. Rathescar.

J)

. Oriel.

}3

Limerick

. Parteene.

J»

Meath

. Lismullen.

))

>j

Mountainstown.

>t

Monaghan

. Mount Louise.

>>

Sligo .

. Markree Castle

y 1

Tipperary

. Kilcooley Abbey

Tyrone
Wicklow

Caledon House.
. Anamoe.

Queens County

. Kellyville.

Decoys in Ireland.
Though most admirably adapted by nature for the purpose, Ireland
never possessed many Decoys, and at the present date (1885) has only
three in use, namely, those given above in italics.

190 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

With the exception of some half-dozen out of the twenty-two past and
present Decoys of this island, I have little but what is secondhand infor-
mation. The reason being that most of the Irish Decoys were discon-
tinued many years ago.

That several other Decoys formerly existed than those herein-
mentioned is probable, but though I have travelled the length and breadth
of the island, both inland and by the coast on various sporting expeditions
{z'ide "Fowler in Ireland"), and have constantly made inquiries on the
subject, it has been with but meagre results. This information, such as
it is, is now given.

County of Cork.
Decoys in use. \ Decoys not in use.

Longueville. Doneraile Court.

Longiicville (2), 3 miles W. of Mallow, the residence of Richard
Longfield, Esq.

The Decoys are situated three hundred paces below the mansion on
the south side of the park, and close to the high road from Mallow to
Kanturk.

They consist of two pieces of water, one being 35 yards square, and
the other close by and connected with it, being 8 to 10 acres in extent.

The original Decoy, the small one, was constructed in 1 750, and had
four pipes, two of which were enlarged in 1865 and two abolished. In
1875 Mr. Longfield made a new pipe on the large piece of water hard by,
or, as it is called, " The New Decoy."

The takes in a season vary from 250 to 300 fowl. In the winter of
1883-4, 44 Wild Duck were taken at a drive. But an average good catch
might be 15 to 20 birds ; the last made pipe being the most successful.

Thompson, in his admirable work, 'The Natural History of Ire-
land' (185 1), thus alludes to this Decoy. He writes: "In the season

1840-41, 2x6 Teal, 100 Wild Ducks, and i Wigeon were captured

The greatest number taken here for some years past was in 1 845-46, when
730 head of Duck, Teal, and Wigeon were procured." He adds : " 70

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 191

Ducks and Teal have been taken at one time." As an instance of how soon
wildfowl learn to discriminate between real danger and the reverse, I
can say that I have seen the Ducks at Longueville sitting composedly
on the Decoy, within sight and sound of carts and waggons passing
along the adjacent road, a distance of but 100 paces, and though the
drivers of such vehicles can see the fowl, and mischievously crack their
whips to alarm them, their efforts to rise the birds prove futile.

Doneraile Court. — The residence of Viscount Doneraile, close to the
town of Doneraile, and 6 miles NE. of Mallow. There are the remains
of a first-class Decoy here, though no records exist of its being put ever
to active use.

It was constructed by the second Viscount Doneraile, grandfather of
the present owner of the estate, and much costly masonry was used in its
construction, some of which is yet to be seen.

The outline of the Decoy can still be traced, and I have been able
on a close inspection to determine the position of the four pipes. The
remains of the Decoyman's hut are also visible, together with the channels
cut for flooding the pool from the River Aubeg, that flows close by its
side.

The Decoy is placed in a dense thicket in the park, and some 400
yards distant from the mansion.

The park at Doneraile abounds in wild scenery and magnificent
timber ; indeed. Lord Doneraile once told me that it used to be his
boast, that some years ago he could point out, in his beautiful grounds,
specimens of all well-known British trees, as well as many rare ones, that,
taken collectively, could not, he was ready to wager, be surpassed in size
and symmetry of form and foliage, on any other estate.

County Down.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. ( Lough Beg.

Thompson, in his ' Natural History of Ireland,' 185 1, before alluded
to, writes : —

" Meadows on the margin of Lough Beg, connected with Lough

192 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Neagh (on the eastern side), still bear the name of Coy Meadows, from the
circumstance that there was a Decoy there at a very distant period."
Lough Beg, this writer adds, was, in 1851, "one of the finest haunts for
wildfowl in the north of Ireland, Wild Ducks and Wigeon in particular are
so numerous, and in such dense flocks as sometimes in calm weather, when
most conspicuous on the smooth surface of the water, to appear like floating
Islands."

Lough Beg is at the extreme northern corner of Lough Neagh, and is
14 miles NW. of the town of Antrim.

County Galway.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None.

Eyre Court.
Clonfert.

Eyre Cotirt, 7 miles W. of Banagher and 12 miles N. of the shores
of Lough Derg at Portumna. A small Decoy existed here till about 1 860,
but Mr. Eyre informs me that it is now numbered with things of the
past. Thompson, writing of this Decoy in 1851, says : "40 to 50 Teal are
often taken here in a day when the wind is favourable."

Clonfert, 2 miles S. of Shannon Bridge, where the Rivers Suck and
Shannon unite. I have no notes of this Decoy. It was discontinued
about 1820, for Thompson writes in 185 1 : " In the County Galway there was
an extensive Decoy at Clonfert, but it was given up about 30 years ago."

County Kildare.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None.

Ballynakill.
Lyons.

Ballynakill. — Several sporting writers merely allude to a Decoy
as having formerly existed here, but I am unable to obtain any reliable
particulars of it.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 193

Lyons, the estate of Lord Cloncurry. A Decoy formerly existed
here, but the owner of the property, who has kindly made enquiries of old
residents, states that no particulars of it are now known, or obtainable.
What is called the Decoy is a small pool in a plantation near a much larger
piece of water.

Lord Cloncurry says it certainly has not been used as a Decoy for
forty years.

County Kilkenny.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

Desart House. | None.

Desart House, 8^^ miles SW. of Kilkenny, the residence of the Earl
of Desart.

The owner of this Decoy says " that of late years it has been nearly
a failure.

" That though the Ducks come as usual in large numbers, very few
are now taken compared to what used to be the case.

" Foxes also abound in the vicinity and manage to destroy most of
the tame Ducks." Many years ago from 1,500 to 2,000 wildfowl was
no unusual number to take in the Desart Decoy.

This Decoy was constructed early in the present century.

County Louth.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. Clyde.

Lisrenny.
Beaulieu.
Rathescar.
Oriel.

According to Thompson, who wrote in 185 1, the Decoys at Clyde,
Lisrenny, and Beaulieu had even in his day long been disused.

Also the one at Rathescar (erected by a Baron Foster) was

c c

194 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

not in working order at the time of the publication of 'The Natural
History of Ireland,' nor was the Decoy at Oriel, 2 miles distant, then in
use, though Thompson adds that formerly it was wont to take sometimes
as many as 60 couple of Teal in a morning.

County Limerick.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Parteene.

Parteene, a small hamlet about 2 miles WNW. of Limerick, on the
N. side of the River Shannon. In Donelly's Tour in Ireland (1681), the
following allusion is made to this Decoy, which must have been a very
early established one.

" Parteene is a small town adjoining to the famous Salmon Weir

belonging to the City of Limerick On the right hand of the

bridge is a great Decoy for Ducks belonging to James Fitzgerald of the
Middle Temple, Esquire.

County Meath.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None.

Lismullen.
Mountainstown.

Lisnnillen. — This Decoy has not been worked for many years, not
since about 1840.

Mountainstown, like the former, has long been discontinued.

County Monagiian.

Mr. R. Evatt, of Mount Louise, in this county, informed the Author
that some years ago he attached a small Decoy-pipe to the lake in his
grounds, but that, through non-success, it was discontinued.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 195

County of Slkio.
Decoys tn tise. Decoys not in use.

None. I Markree Castle.

Markrce Castle, 8 miles S. of Sligo, the seat of Colonel E. H.
Cooper.

A Decoy-pipe was constructed here in connection with a large lake of
100 acres, but proved a failure owing to the large extent of water it was
attached to. Another pipe was nearly completed, but given up by the
owner on his finding the first pipe made did not succeed. Both were the
work of T. G. Skelton, and were made about the year i860.

County Tipperary.

Kilcooley Abbey. — There was a Decoy here on the property of the
late Mr. C. B. Ponsonby. It was discontinued about 1868. It was a
small pool of but half an acre, with four pipes, and was made by Sir W.
Barker in 1750, but was given up a score years ago, owing to its non-
success consequent on some large marshes near it being drained.

County Tyrone.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Caledon House.

Caledon House, the residence of the Earl of Caledon, 8 miles NE.
of Monaghan, in the southern corner of the county of Tyrone, where it
touches on the counties of Monaghan and Armagh.

This Decoy, one of the best ever made, was constructed by William
Skelton in 1846. It has eight pipes and in area consists of a little over
two acres and a half It has been out of repair for about a score years.
In its successful days the Caledon Decoy sometimes accounted for from
two to three thousand fowl in a season, and on many occasions fifty to
sixty Duck were taken at a drive, and now and then over a hundred.

196 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Thompson, in alluding to this Decoy, remarks that Skelton, who in
those clays managed the Caledon Decoy, told him "that he considered
there were as many wildfowl frequenting it, as was the case with any Decoy
he was acquainted with in Lincolnshire." {See plan facing page 167).

County of Wicklow.
Decoys ill use. Decoys not in use.

None. I Anamoe.

Anamoe. — According to Thompson a Decoy (long disused) existed
here on a small river between Anamoe and the seven churches of Glenda-
lough.

Queen's County.
Decoys in use. Decoys not in nse.

Kellyville. | None.

Kellyville. Some years ago a Decoy with 6 pipes was made here, on
a pice of water of 12 acres, by Capt. Frank Webber. It is situated on
the borders of Queen's Co. and Kildare, near Athy, and is about 30 miles
inland from the Irish Channel, and 3 miles from the Barrow river where
there are extensive marshes.

In 1872 800 fowl were taken here; in 1873 about 1,400, and from
that year until 1880, when Capt. Webber gave the Decoy up to his
brother, the average take annually used to be about 1,500, the best year
resulting in i,g6o fowl. Since 1880 two more pipes have been added, and
Mr. W. D. Webber informs me that since then the largest take in a
season has been 2,500 wildfowl, and that in the winter of 1883-4, 1,700
Duck and Teal were caught in about equal numbers ; no Wigeon, and only an
occasional Pintail and Shoveller, though the latter species sometimes haunt
the Decoy to the number of 50 or 60 together.

197

HISTORY OF T^-ECOYS -{continued).

CHAPTER XVIII.

Decoys in Holland.

As we are supposed to have originally derived our knowledge of
Decoys, and the art of Decoying, from Holland, it may be considered
within my province to allude to Dutch Decoys, — as well as to those in
the neighbouring state of Schleswisf.

Decoys, as may be surmised, are very successful in Holland, in
consequence of the unlimited feeding-grounds that country and its shores
and estuaries offer them.

Besides this the Dutch preserve and protect wildfowl to a far greater
degree than is the case in our islands ; no one for instance on their coasts
being allowed to fire a gun within a thousand yards of a Decoy. The
law of Holland regards a Decoy as an established system of trade
engaged in by its owner or occupier, and so encourages and protects him
in his avocation of Decoying.

I have not, it is true, made it a special study to learn the positions of
all the Dutch Decoys or obtain notes of their successes ; the latter feat
would be a difficult task, for in Holland Decoys are more or less shrouded
in secrecy and their doings concealed from inquirers on the subject.

What information I have obtained, and am therefore able to lay before
my readers, has been either through personal visits or through sources that
can be relied on. Such as it is, I can vouch for its accuracy.

From the examination of Government statistics, as well as by reason
of careful researches I have made, it is probable that there are in Holland
and its islands fully 70 to 80 Decoys now in active use. The immense total
of fowl they take can therefore readily be conjectured.

Decoys abound in all parts of Holland, notably in Friesland, North

1 98

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

Brabant and Utrecht, besides several in Groningen, and the East F'risian
islands.

There are some very successful Decoys between Flushing and Rotter-
dam, on the Islands, and near the shores, of the Scheldt rivers, and the
River Maas.

Decoys are also worked all round the Zuyder Zee, as well as on the
inland meres that are within a few miles of this great inland sea.

The Decoys in Holland are very much the same as are ours in shape
and accessories, though more primitive in their construction and manner of

working.

Fis. I.

Water

Fig. II.

TRAP AT END OF DUTCH DECOY PrPE.

In lieu of having a series of short screens placed along the sides of
the Decoy pipes, it is the custom to have one or two long screens
instead.

The fowler instead of following up along the pipe at the back of the
screens with his dog, and when he has the birds far enough under the net,
running back to the pipe's mouth to cut them off, acts differently.

He in jireference waits well concealed near the pipe's mouth and sends
his dog up the sides of the pipe by himself all along the front of the one
or two long screens which I have alluded to.

On the fowl rushing up after the dog, the Fowler, when he sees through
his peephole they are far enough under the net to be caught, suddenly

\

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 199

springs into view, and so urges the fowl into the trap at the end of the
pipe.

This trap, which does duty for a tunnel net, consists of a wooden box
some ] oft. in length, which I here give a sketch of, and by means of which
the birds caught are kept alive, if (as is often the case) they are so required
by the dealers.

At A, the furthest end of the trap from the pipe, is a fixed railing which
the birds can see between on entering the trap, and which they endeavour
to reach under the idea they can push through it and so escape. At B
(Figs. I., II., III.) there is also a railing, but it is made in the form of a
swing door that opens inwards only, and which, when a catch is about to
be made, is lightly propped open.

On reaching the door, and seeing through the trap, the hurrying
frightened birds press into the latter ; once inside they cannot escape, for
the door is pulled back again into a vertical position by means of a string,
and no pushing will open it from inside.

C, C, are the small shutters which are removed by the Decoyman
when taking out the captured birds.

D, D, is a partition of open framework, and which enables the Decoy-
man to separate his captives, or have one-half of the trap clear of birds for
another catch.

E, E, the end of the Decoy pipe.

F, F, small pegs for safely securing the swing door at night when
birds are caught.

Fig. 1 1 1 shows the long cord which the Decoyman uses to pull down
tight the door as soon as he sees fowl are entrapped, and one end of which
he holds in his hand.

The Dutch Decoymen, who, I may add, do a very large trade in live
birds with England and the Continent, are by this means enabled 'to take
the fowl alive with the least possible trouble, and risk of damaging
them.

The shutters for taking the birds out as required are a necessity, for
it is the custom of the Decoymen to pretty well fill the extreme end of the
trap with birds, the result perhaps of several drives on consecutive days,
before taking his unfortunate captives out to send them away.

The Decoy pipes do not usually have arched hoops, but instead, poles

200

THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

erected each side of the cHtch over which netting is stretched so as to form
a square roofed Decoy pipe.

I remarked a curious device worth mentioning by which the Dutch
Decoymen protect the tame Decoy Ducks in the laying season from the
attacks of foxes, cats, and other enemies. They fix to the branches or
trunks of the trees in the Decoy wood, 6ft. or so above ground, neat smooth
baskets made of reed or straw.

A sketch of one of these contrivances I here give.

The Decoy birds fly in, h'ne the inside of the basket with down, lay
their eggs and bring their young out in safety.

After a few days the baskets are taken down and kept as shelters for
both young and old in a wired enclosure, and not put up on the trees again
till the following nesting season.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. 2or

A List of Dutch Decoys known to the Author.

Zoutkamp, in the province of Groningen on the western side of the
Lauwers Zee.

There is a very good Decoy here with 4 pipes, within a quarter of a
mile of the town of Zoutkamp, which latter has come into existence since
the Decoy was made, but notwithstanding its proximity, the Decoy is a
lucrative one and takes from three to four thousand fowl annually.

The Author remarked that here, as in many other instances, the Decoy-
man's cottage stood in the Decoy grounds and within 60 yards of the pool,
one of the pipes twisting up to the very door of the house itself.

Nierkuisen, a couple of miles North of the last named on the same
shore of the Lauwers Zee are two more Decoys similar to that at Zout-
kamp.

Tibnia in Friesland. Two miles north of Dockhumer-Zyl. There
are two Decoys here on the W. bank of the Lauwers Zee just opposite
to Zoutkamp. To the Author's knowledge these two pools caught 1,000
fowl apiece in one week in the early part of November in the year 1884.

Schie7'7nontiikoog. This island which lies opposite the entrance to the
Lauwers Zee and forms one of the South Frisian chain, has a large
Decoy on it.

Terschelling. Another island, one of the South Frisian, has a
Decoy on it with 6 pipes.

Near Emden, a town in the province of Schleswig, on the North
shore of the Dollart estuary, are two Decoys attached to a lake.

F'dhr. The largest island of the North Frisian group. It lies NW.
of Husum off the coast of Schleswig. There are six Decoys on this
island, five of which are managed by a company. Their collective
average take is from 40,000 to 50,000 wildfowl in a season. In 1883-4
they accounted for over 50,000 fowl. All this portion of the coast of
North Germany is densely frequented by Duck, Wigeon, and Teal in the
months of October and November, but on the arrival of frost the birds

disperse southwards.

I) I)

202 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS.

The Decoys of Fohr, as well as those on the neighbouring islands
next alluded to, are surrounded for many miles by vast ooze banks which
support and attract myriads of Duck, Teal, and Wigeon.

The Decoys are kept very quiet, and shooting afloat is by law very
strictly forbidden on this coast in the interests of the numerous Decoys.

Amrum. Another North Frisian Island that possesses a large Decoy,
one in which 1,500 duck, chiefly Pintail, were a few years since taken in a
single day.

Syli. Belonging to the same group of islands has two Decoys.

Fmi4>, also possessing one.

In connection with the Decoys and wildfowl of Holland I append the
following very interesting notes kindly supplied to me by Mr. Caven-
dish Taylor. This gentleman, an enthusiastic naturalist and sportsman,
has travelled in Holland considerably, and tells me that the information
given below may be fully relied on, as it was carefully collected and
analized at the time it was compiled, a few years ago.

Mr. Taylor says, " Mr. Van Heckn is one of the largest exporters ot
Dutch produce in Holland.

He owns Decoys himself and contracts with the owners of 70 others
to take all their birds at a fixed price. These he sends principally to
London and Paris. His residence is in Dordrecht where the birds are
sent to him from the Decoys. There he packs them in osier baskets, and,
if destined for England, ships them from Rotterdam.

He gets birds from many Decoys in Friesland. These latter are
not sent to Dordrecht, but are shipped from Harlingen.

The contract price with the Decoy owners is about is. 4d. apiece

for Ducks. But wildfowl are valued according to the following scale,

viz. : —

2 Wigeon ....... 1 Duck

o

2 Shovellers .......

3 Teal ........ ,,

I Pintail and i Teal .....

Gadwall are not numerous and not of much account. Teal are always
plentiful and in demand.

HISTORY OF DECOYS. ' 203

Mr. Van Heckn has shipped 33,000 ducks (according to the above scale
representing 50,000 birds) from Friesland alone in a season, and fully
double the number from Dordrecht.

He has sent off 800 woodcock in a week. These were from Drenthd
and were caught in nets. He also gets snipes in numbers from near
Saardam in North Holland ; also golden Plover, on one occasion he sent
away from Friesland 26,000 of the latter birds in a week.

Wild Geese are not in demand, but Mr. Van Heckn often deals in
Bitterns.

There is a great difference in the seasons. Frost is bad, as it drives
the birds out of the country.

Wet winters are most productive.

The Decoy season commences in August and ends the last day of
March.

The early season is mostly for Teal and homebred birds, but these
are at that time not very saleable having to compete with Game in the
markets.

In Paris during Lent there is a good sale for what are termed blue
legged Wildfowl, such as Scaup, Tufted Duck and other divers, these being
regarded by Catholics as being of such fishy flavour that they are allowed
to be used as food in fasts.

In Holland there are both sea coast as well as inland Decoys. The
latter do best in wet, and the former in dry weather, when there are no
inundations.

Mr. Van Heckn's Decoy is a sea Decoy, it is (or was) situated on
the Island of Rosenburg at the mouth of the Maas. The Island is
1,500 acres in extent, mostly pasture, excepting the 14 acres of osiers in
which the Decoy pool is placed. For the Decoy a rent of ^65 a year
is paid, but the lessee also rents the shooting over the entire island for
the purpose of keeping off intruders with guns.

The Decoy is a large one with 6 pipes and caught 7,000 fowl
the season Mr. C. Taylor inspected it. Mr. Taylor tells me that
he paid a visit to Mr. Van Heckn's menage, where he packs and ships
the birds, and saw about 300 live wildfowl, consisting of Wigeon, Teal,
Garganey, Pintails, Tufted Ducks and Golden Eyes, besides a number
of Brent Geese all ready to be sent off to London. The birds were

204 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOVS.

kept in pens on dry straw, with but little water, and were fed with
buckwheat and canary seed. Mr. Van Heckn formerly bred Carolina and
Mandarin Ducks, but gave it up as being too troublesome. The latter
birds were however, Mr. Taylor was informed, very easy to rear, as easy
as chickens, provided ants eggs could be procured for them.

Decoys in France.

Though I have frequently heard Decoys alluded to as existing in
France, yet I have never been able to obtain any reliable information
thereon.

Samuel Maunder in his " Treasury of Natural History," published in
1846, concludes a long and fairly accurate description of Duck Decoys as
follows : —

" In Picardy in France vast numbers of Ducks are taken in Decoys
and sold in the Paris market, where in one season 30,000 francs have been
paid for the produce of the small lake of St. Lambert."

FINIS.

INDEX.

Abbotsbury Castle Decoy, 71

Acle Decoy, 139

A Decoy in the Days of Queen Anne, 80

Aldermaston Park Decoy, 60

Aldingboume, 171

Aldwinckle Decoy, 142

Alford, Richard, 124

Allen's History of Yorkshire (1029), 1S4

Aller Decoy, 15S

Alston, Mr., 78

American pond weed [Anacharh ahinastruin),

138
Anamoe Decoy, 196
Angmering Decoy, 172
Annis, Abraham, 91
Arnold, Rev. Coope, 84
Arundel Castle, 172
Ashby (Lincolnshire) Decoy, 116, 119

(Suffolk) Decoy, 165

Ashwell Fen, 65
Aslackby Decoy, 121
Aston Hall Decoy, 150
Aubeg, River, 191
Aubrey, Sir John, 61
Austin, Mr., 157
Avocet's Nest found 1840, 186
Axholme, Isle of, 68, 104, 185
Aylesford, Earl of, 174

B.

Back Screens, Length of, 32

Bacon's Farm, 87

" Bailiff of Marshland," The, 113

Ballynakill Decoy, 192

Baren, Mr. Laurence J., 170

Bate-Dudley, The Rev., 78

Bateman, Lord, 95
Bath, Marquis of, 1 54
Beaulieu (Hampshire), 95

(Louth) Decoy, 193

Beda taken prisoner by Hereward, 108
Bedford, Earl of, 68

Level, The, 66

Level Scheme, 4

, William Earl of, 68

Bell, William, 123
Benacre Decoy, 167
Benedictine Monastery of Wix, 92
Berkeley Castle, 93

Decoys, Gloucestershire, Ai'i'wi,- 93

Besthorpe Decoy, 139

Beverley, 183

" and Barmiston Drainage Act of 1798,"

181
Birch, Mr. Wyrley, 132
Birdcage Walk, 128
Birds caught in Dowsby Decoy from October,

1765, to April, 1766, 120
caught in Iken Decoy from 1S7S to i88j,

162

caught at Orielton Decoy, 149

■ ■ taken in Ashby (Lincolnshire) Decoy from

1833 to 1868, 118
Birdsall Decoy, 187
Bixley Decoy, 164
Blackburne, Col. J., M.P., 100
Black-headed Gull {Lams ridibuiidiis), 186
Blackvvater River, 75
Block Fen, 65
Bluehouse Farm, 92
Blunt Fen, 65
Boarstall, Cottage at, 62

Decoy, 61

Manor of, 61

Bohun's Hall Decoy, 86
Bordenweare, i s7

206

INDEX.

Borough Fen Decoy, 143
Bourne Decoy, 119

Fen, 103

Bournemouth Decoy, 95
Bowen's Mnp of Essex, 1760,84
Boyes, Mr. F., 184
Bradwell Marsh, 76
Bradwell-juxta-Mare, 79
Brantham Decoy, 168
Breast-wall Screens, 44, 45
Brent Marsh, 156
Brill Hills, 62

Bookesby, Rev. Francis, 184
Broke-Middlcton, Sir George, 164
Broughton Decoy, 125
Buckinghamshire, Decoys in, 60
Buckingham, Duke of, 64
Burton Hall Decoy, 124
Butterbump Hall, 181

Cage Decoy, The, 3
Caledon House Decoy, 195

, Lord, 167, 19s

Caldicott Level, 129

Call Ducks, 47

Calthorpe, Lord, 139

Cambridgeshire, Decoys in, 65

Camden, 5

Campsey Ash Abbey, 168

Decoy, 168

Canney Marsh, 79

Capel, John, 64

Carolina Ducks, 204

Carrington I'. Taylor, 17

Cat, Ferret, and Rabbit as Decoys, 49

Catching Birds in Decoy Pipes, 21

Cavendish Taylor, Mr., 202

Cawston Decoy, 136

Caxton, Cambridgeshire, 1 1 1

Chadwick, Major R., 1S8

Charborough Park, 73, 74

Charles 1 , 68

Charles II., 3, 126, 12S

Chatteris Decoy, 66

Cheddar Water Decoy, 159

Chesil Beach, "Ji

Chillesford Decoy, 162

Chillington Decoy, 160

Clare, Earl of, 145

Claydon House Decoy, 64

Cloncurry, Lord, 193

Clonfert Decoy, 192

Clumber, 143

Coatham Decoy, 178

Cobb's Farm, 84

Cockett Wick Farm, 88

Colcbrooke, Sir Thomas, 170

Cockswere, 157

Colman, Mr. J. J. — " Life of a Fenman," 110

Coloured Cloth round Dog, 49

Colquhoun, Mr. J., 1S8

Combe Abbey Decoy, 174

Decoy, Warwickshire, facing ( 74

Compton Dundon Decoy, 157
Concealed Path, 32
Construction of a Decoy-pipe, 35

— the Hoops, 36

Cooper, Colonel E. H., 195

Mr., 63

Cordeaux, Mr. J., 117
Cork, County of. Decoys in, 190
Cornwall, Decoys in, 70
Coventry, the late Mr., 74
Cowbit Decoy, 120

Fen, 103

" Coy," The word, 3

Cracknell, Mr., 77

Cranmore Fen, 65

Craven, Earl of, 174

Crossley, Sir Savile, 165

Crouch, River, 75

Crowland, Abbot's Decoy at, 4

Cunningham's " Handbook of London," 126

Curiosity of Wild Ducks, 23

D.

Dacre, Lord, 97

Daniel's "Rural Sports," 4, 78, 120

Dawson, Mr. G. P., 180

Decoy, Derivation of the Word, 2

• Pond, The, 40

Old Engraving of, 9

Decoying, 21

Decoying with a Dog, 23

with Food, 37

Decoyman's Assistant, 33

Decoymen, I

Decoys are protected by Common Law, 14

have no special Act, 14

in France, 204

Decoys in Holland, 197

East Frisian Islands, 198

Flushing, 19S

INDEX

207

Decoys in Holland [continued).
Friesland, 197
Groningen, 198
North Brabant, 198
River Maas, 19S
River Scheldt, 198
Rotterdam, 198
Schleswig, 197
Utrecht, 198
Zuyder Zee, 198
Decoys, Rights of, 15
Deeping Fen, 5, 103

Fen Decoys, 119

Deerhyde, 61
Derby, Countess of, 171
Derbyshire, Decoys in, 70
Dersingham Decoy, 135
Desart, Earl of, 193

House Decoy, 193

Description of a Decoy-pipe, 57

Didlington Decoy, 133, 134

Ditch of a Decoy-pipe, 35

Dog, The, 48

"Dog and Duck" Inn, 1S7

Dog-jumps, 44

Donelly's "Tour in Ireland," 194

Doneraile Court Decoy, 191

Park, 191

Viscount, 191

Dorsetshire, Decoys in, 71
Dorton House, 61
Dovercourt Decoy, 91
Down, County of. Decoys in, 191
Downham Fen, 65

Market, 140

Dowsby Decoy, 120

Dowse, Ihomas, 123

Drayton's " Polyolbion, ' 109

Driving the Birds up the Pipe both when

Dogging and Feeding, 31
- — Wildfowl, 5

Wildfowl in the Sixteentli Century, 6

Wildfowl up the \'\'^e., facing t,\

Drop of the Hoops, 38
Duck Cage, The, 3

and Teal taken with the Dog, 29

Duff, Colonel, 132
Dugdale, 105, 106, 108
Durham, Mr., 187
Dutch Decoymen, 199

Decoy Pipe, Trap at end of, 198

Decoys known to the Author, 201

Amrum, 202
Fan(^, 202

Dutch Decoys known to the Author {continued).

Fohr, 201

Nierhuisen, 201

Schiermonnikoog, 201

Sylt, 202

Terschelling, 201

Tibnia, 201

Zoutkamp, 201
Dutch Nesting Basket, 200
Dynham Family, 61
Sir John, 147

E.

Eardley, Lord, 143

Earith, 96

East Fen, 103, 105

Hall Decoy, 79

Eau-brink Canal, 112

Edward VI., Act of, against taking Eggs of

Wildfowl, 6
Effect of the Dog on the Ducks, 29
EUenborough, Lord, 83
Ely, Isle of, 67, 108
" Endekooy," Word, 3
Enticing Wildfowl up Decoy-pipe by Dog,

facing, 26
Entrance to Decoy-pipe, with Dog at Work,
facing 30

a Decoy-pipe, 37

Escrick Decoy, Yorkshire, 179

Park Decoys, 179

Essex, Decoys in, 75
Evelyn's " Diary," 3, 127

Evelyn on St. James's Park Decoy, 126
Everdell, Joseph, 155
Eyre Court Decoy, 192

Farcett Fen, 96

Farlsthorpe Decoy, 124

Fellowes, Mr., 139

Fen Slodgers, 1 1 3

Fenman, Outdoor Occupations of, 115

Fenmen, The, 104

Fen-Parson, The, no

Fifteen Hundred Ducks taken in a Day, 202

Fifteen Thousand Fowl taken in one Season,

167
Findhorn Bay, 188

208

INDEX.

Firle Decoy, 171

Park, 171

Fiske, John, 90, 164
Fitzhardinge, Earl, 93
Fitzgerald, James, 194
Fleet Uecoy, 120

Estuary, 71, 73

Flixton Decoy, 168

Fodder, 105

Food, The, used in a Decoy, 50

Acorns, 50

Barley, 50

Bruised Oats, 50

Buckwheat, 50

Canary Seed, 50

Hemp Seed, 50

Hemp Seed Oil sprinkled on Oats, 50

Malt-grains, or Coombs, flavoured with
Aniseed, 50

Maize, 50

Wheat, 50

"Willow -weed" {^Polygonum persicaria), 50
Footfalls, Safeguard against Sound of, 45
Forest of Bernwode. 61, 62
Foster, Barcn, 193

Rev. Thomas, 120

Fountaine, Mr. A., 132

Rev. John, 132, 133, 139

■ Mr. E., 167

" Fowler in Ireland," 190

Fo.\'s Skin on Dog, 49

Fo.xes in Decoys, 24

Framework of a Screen, 46

Frequent Error made in Decoys, A, 33

Friskney Decoy, Lincolnshire,/(?«;/o- 122

New Decoy, 122

Marshes, 122

Friston Decoy, 168

Fritton Decoy, 164

Front of a Screen, 46

Fullager's Decoy, 98

Fuller's " Worthies of England," 107

Gadwall, The, 132

Gage, Viscount, 171

Galway, County of, Decoys in, 192

Gardener's Farm House, 84

Gascoyne, Mr. W. — Account of Grovehurst

Decoy, 98
Gedney Marsh, 103

General Directions for managing Decoy and
catching Ducks, 51

Best time to try, 53

Boat, 54

Casting Shadows, 53

Ice, Clearing Decoy of, 54

Killing Birds, 54

On approaching a Decoy, 52

" Rising" a Decoy, 54

Securing Live Birds, 55

Smouldering Turf, 51

Weathercock, A, 5 1

Wind, 51
General Drainage Act, 68
Giffard, Mr. W., 160
Gilby, Colonel Anthony, 184
Glamorganshire, Decoys in, 93
Glaston, John de, 156

Glastonbury, Abbey of^Survey of Temporali-
ties, 157
Glastonbury, Abbot of, 1 53
Glebeland Decoy, 78
Gloucestershire, Decoys in, 93
Glynde Decoy, 173, 193
Godney Decoy, 158
Goldhanger Decoy (i), 84

., (2), 84
Gooch, Sir Francis, 167

■ Sir Alfred, 168

Goodwyns, The, 63
Goole ]\Ioors, 1S6

New Decoy, 187

Old Decoy, 187

Gore Decoy, 85
Gough, 5, 6

Great Bedford Level, The, 68, 69

■ Cotes Decoy, 125

Oakley Hall Decoy, 88

Greene, Thomas, 126
Grovehurst Decoy, 98
Gunton Park Decoy, 136

H.

Habitues of the Decoy, 49

Hachemere, 157

Hagnaby Decoy, 123

Hale Decoy, 100

Hall, William {alias "Antiquarian Hall," &c ,

&c.), 113
Halnaker House, 171
Halton, Lake at, 60
Hamford Water, 75

INDEX.

209

Hampden, Viscount, 173
Hampshire, 94
Hampworth Decoy, 175
Hanbur)', Mrs. F. S., 143
Handle, Sir John de, 61
Hardwicli Hall Decoy, 70
Hare, Sir Thomas, 140
Harland, Sir Robert, 163
Harting, Mr. J. E., 79
Hartington, Lord, 70
Hatfield Chase, 68, 107
Haughton Decoy, 144
Hawkshaw, 68
Head Hoop, Height of, 36
Healy, Captain, 117
Heathcote, Mr. J. M., 97
Hemsby Decoy, 138
Hempstead Decoy, 137
Henry VII. {tempo), 157

VI 11. {tempo), 157

VIII., Act of, against taking Wildfowl

with Nets, &c., 6
Herefordshire, Decoys in, 95
Heron pursued by a Peregrine, 149

Court, 74

Herringfleet Decoy, 164

" Hertford and Derwent Drainage Act," 176

Hertfordshire, Decoys in, 97

Hervey, Lord A., 178

Hey wood, Mr., 162

Hicldey, Admiral, 155

Higford Burr, Mr., 60

H ileus, Sydrach, 3, 127

Hilgay Decoy, 140

" History of Somersetshire," 156, 159

" History of Whittington Castle," Lines from,

151
Hockwold Decoy, 141
Holbeach Marsh, 103
Holderness Fens, 176
Holkham Decoy, 136

Lake, 136

Holland Fen, 103
Holme Decoy, 184

Fen, 96

Holt, Lord, 14
Hood, Sir Alexander, 158
Hoop-ends, Sinking of, 37
Hopkins, Captain, 123
Hornby Castle, 177

Decoy, YorksKire, facing 93

• Decoy, 177

Horsey Island Decoy, 91
Hotham, Sir Charles, 181

How to Cut the Ditch of a Decoy-pipe, y^(r/«_i,'-

36
How Decoyman gets behind Birds in the Pipe,

32
Hudson, Mr., 77
Hull, River, 176

Hume, Mr. Joseph, M.P., 137, 172
Huntingdon, Mr., ii, 137
Huntingdonshire, 96
Hussey-Vivian, Sir H., 93
Hutchins' " History of Dorset," 71

I.

Ice, Formation of, at Pipe's Mouth, 41
Iken Decoy, 162
Ilchester, Earl of, 71, 157
Ireland, Decoys in, 189

J.

Jackson, Rev. F. (of Wisbeach), 66
Jacques Hall Decoy, 92
Johnson, Sir J. H., 88

Keadby Decoy, 125

Kebbell, Mr., 78

Kedgers, 1 1 1

Keeble v. Hickeringall, 16

Kemsley Decoy, 100

Kent, 98

Kenn Moor Decoy, 159, 160

Kerrison, Mr. John, 138

Kilcooley Abbey Decoy, 195

Kilcoursie, Lord, 153

Kildare, County of, Decoys in, 192

Kilkenny, County of, Decoys in, 193

King John, 4

King's Sedgemoor, 152

• Decoys, 154

Kirkleatham Hall, 178
" Kooy," word, 3
Kyme Fen, 103

Lancashire, Decoys in, 100
Laddus Fen, 65
Lakcnheath Decoy, 167

K E

2IO

INDEX.

Lakenheath Decoy, Suffolk,y^««f 167

Fen, 161

Landings and Banks of Decoy Pond, 41

Langham Decoy, 136

Lacthington Decoy, 84

Laver, Dr., 84

Leake Decoy, 124

Leathes, Colonel, 89, 164

Leeds, Duke of, 14, 134, 177

Leicester, Earl of, 136

Leland's " Itinerary," 156, 184

Le Serre on St. James's Park in 1633, ^27

Leverington Decoy, 65

Lichelake, 157

Lilford, Lord, 142

Limerick, County of, Decoys in, 194

Lincoln, 103

Earl of, 143

Lincolnshire, Decoys in, 103

Lion Point Decoy, 8S

Lipscombe, 62

LismuUen Decoy, 194

Lisrenny Decoy, 193

List of Decoys in the British Islands — Past and
Present, 59

Liver-coloured Fox-terriers, 90

Lloyd, Colonel R., 1 50

Richard Savage, 181

London Carriers, 1 1 1

Longfield, Richard, 190

Longueville Decoys, 190

Lonsdale, Earl of, 175

Lough Beg Decoy, 191

Derg, 192

Neagh, 192

Louth, County of, Decoys in, 193
Lovelace, Lord, 170
Lowther Castle Decoy. 175
Lubbock's "Fauna of Norfolk," 137
Lubbock, Rev. Richard, 138
Lymore Hall Decoy, 129
Lynn Market Place under Water, 104
Lyons Decoy, 193

M.

Maclean, Dr., on Malaria, 112

Maidens, Daniel, 123

Malmesbury, Lord, 95

Man who kills the Ducks outside the Decoys,

16
Mandarin Ducks, 204

Markree Castle Decoy, 195

Marlborough, Duke of, 62, 63

Marryat, Captain, R.N., the late, 136

Marsh House Decoy, 76

Martineau's (H.), " Settlers at Home," 107

Mascall, Mr., 78

Maunder*s "Treasury of Natural History,"

204
Mautby Decoy, 139
Maybanke, Edward, 126
Meare Decoy, 156

Pool, 156

Meath, County of. Decoys in, 194
Meaux Abbey, 182

Decoy, 180

Menzies, Mr., 169

Merry, Mrs., 90

Mersea Island, or West Mersea Decoy, 87

Mersey, The, 102

Merton Decoy, 135

Hall, 135

Methods used to Decoy Ducks into Pipe, 22
Methwold Decoy, 140
" Mickle Mere,'' 132
Middle Fen, 65

Level, 70

Moor, 96

Middlesex, Decoys in, 126

Middleton, Lord, 146, 187

Mildenhall, 167

iMilford Haven, 149

Millyard Farm Decoy, 121

Monaghan, County of, Decoys in, 194

Monastery of St. Fridesvvide, 63

of St. Peter, 71

Monkey in a Decoy, 49

Monmouthshire, Decoys in, 129

Monson, Lord, 124

Montefiore, Mr., 173

Montgomeryshire, Decoys in, 129

Mordon Decoy, 73

Morris Fen, 65

Mr., 133

Morrison, Mr. G., 175

Morse Family, The, 168

Morton, Bishop of Ely, 67

Mosslands, 102

Moulton Marsh, 103

Mount Louise Decoy, 194

Mountainstown Decoy, 194

Muswell Hill, 62

Mytton, Jack, 151

INDEX.

211

N.

Nacton Decoys, 164

Narford Hall Decoy, 139

Nash Decoy, 129

Nene, River, 142

Netting of a Decoy Pipe, The, 38

Newcastle, Duke of, 144

Newcomen, Mr. A. H. T., 17S

" New Critical Review," 127

New Forest Decoy, 95

Newfoundland Dog, as Decoy, 50

Newstead, 144

New Zealand (Yorks.) Decoy, 187

Nigel, the Forester of Bernwode, 61

Nocton Hall Decoy, 12!

Norfolk Broads, The, 109

Norfolk, Decoys in, 130

Norfolk, Duke of, 172

Northamptonshire, Decoys in, 142

North Fen, 65

North Kyme Decoy, 121

North Level, 70

North Stoneham Decoy, 94

Northumberland, Earl of, 1S3

" Northumberland Household Book," 182

Nottinghamshire, Decoys in, 143

Nyland Decoy, 159

Hill, 159

O.

Oakley Park Decoy, 1 50

Object of Decoyman, 21

Oldfield's " History of Wainfleet,'' 123

" Old George Skelton," 12

Hall Decoy (2), 86, 87

Mill Creek, 86

Mose Hall Decoy, 88

" Old Tom Williams's Decoy," 124

One Night's Decoying, Result of, 166

One-pipe Decoy, 56

Openings between the Screens, 45

Orford Hall Decoy, 102

Orielton Decoy, 147

Oriel Decoy, 193

Origin and Age of Decoys, 3

Orford Haven, 163

Orwell Park Decoy, 163

River, 163

Osgodby Hall Decoy, 180
Ossington Hall Decoy, 145

Otmoor, 60, 62
Ottershaw Park Decoy, 170
Oundle, 142
Ouse, River, 112
Oxfordshire, Decoys in, 146

Packington Hall Decoy, 174

Page, Mr. Charles (Grange Farm), 78

Mr. R. (Marsh House), 77

Paling, necessary to Decoy, 43
Park Hall Decoy, 145

Wern Decoy, 93

Parteene Decoy, 194
Pearce, Rev. F., 74
Peasmarsh Decoy, 173

Pedley's "Fens and Floods of Mid-Lincoln-
shire," 104
Peep-holes in Decoy screens, 44
Pembroke, Earl of, 146
Pembrokeshire, Decoys in 147
Pennant, 128

records great Catch of Ducks, 1 1

Pepys' " Diary," 127

Perry, River, 150

Petre, Mr. J. Berney, 131

Mrs., 132

Pevensey Marsh, 171

Pewit Island, 88

Phelps' " Histor)' of Somerset, ' 160

Phraseology of a Decoy, 17

Breast-wall, 17

Decoy Ducks, 18

Dog-jumps, 18

Draught of a Pipe, 17

Food, 18

Head Shew, 17

Hoops, 17

Landing-places, 18

Pipes, 17

Reed Edges, 17

Screens, 17

Tunnel-net, 18

Turf, 18

Yackoop, The, 18, 26
Picardy sends large Numbers of Ducks to Paris

Market, 204
Pinchbeck Fens, 103
Plan of a Pipe, 57
Plan of Three-pipe Dtcoy, facing 55

of Titcoy-in-pt, facing 57

of Five-pipe "Decoy, facing 58

212

INDEX.

Plan of Cage Decoy, ftuiiii^ 7 1

72

Plans of Decoys, Criticism of, 55

Plumb, James, 132

Pochards, 77

Pochard Ponds, 84

Pond Hall Decoy, 92

Ponsonby, Mr. C. B., 195

Poole Harbour Estuary, 74

Position of Decoys of the British Islands, 10

Posts of the Screens, 45

Powis, Earl of, 129

Prescott, Sir C, 86

Price paid for Wildfoul in 1716, 82

Price, Sir Rose, 70

Privet, on Bank Tops, 42, 43

Protection of Wildfowl, 6

Pug, as Decoy, 49

Purdis Hall Decoy, 164

Pyrford Decoy, 170

R.

Rabbits a great Nuisance, 43
Ramsey Abbey, 108

Island Decoy, 79

Mere, 69, 96

Ranworth Broad, 13S

Decoy, 13S

Rathescar Decoy, 193

Ratton Decoy, 173

Ray, 4

Rear of a Screen, 46

" Redfurns," The, 107

Redmore Fen, 141

Reed Edge around the Water of a Decoy, 42

Reeds, The, 46

Rennie, 68

Ricketts, C. Aubrey, 61

Ridge-trees, 37

Ridsdale, Rev. Mr., 170

Rimes, James, 126

Ripon, Marquis of, 121

River Nen, 65

Rother, River, 174

Rothschild, Baron Ferdinand de, 62

Roydon Hall Decoy, 93

Russell, Colonel, 84

Salmon, Mr. Joseph, 88

Salter, Dr. J. H., 86

Saurin. Colonel, 147

Sawdust strewn along Path, 45

Scorborough Decoy, 1S4

Scotland, 188

Scott, Lord Henry, 95

John, 127

Screens, The, 44

• ■ Construction of, 46

Screen-posts, 44

Sedge Fen, 65, 167

Sempringham Fen, 103

Setting up the Hoops, 37

Severn, River, 93

Shannon, River, 194

Shapwick Decoy, 154

Shardeloes, Lake at, 60

Sharpe (Gamekeeper), 149

Sharpham Park Decoy, 153

and Sedgemoor Decoys, Somerset, facing

93
Sheep depastured in Wildmore Fen, 105
Shobdon Court Decoy, 95
Shooting round a Decoy, 133
Shores of Decoy, 41
Shropshire, Decoys in, 150
Simpson, Mr. George, 88
Sittingbourne Decoy, 98
" Si.\ Hundred Decoy," The, 1 14
Skellingthorpe Decoy, 124
Skelton, George, 11, 135
Death of, 1 3

Henry, 13

John, 1 22

Old George, Portrait of — Frontispiece

, 179

■ Richard, 12

T. Gilbert, 12, 149, 195

William, 12, 174, 195

Skeltons, The family of, 12

Skinner's Wick, or Whitehouse Decoy, 85

Sligo, County of, 195

Smith, Mr. James, 89

Snipe, Large numbers of, 171

SoUey's Decoy, 85

Somersetshire, Decoys in, 152

Souley Pond, 95

South Acre Decoy, 14, 132

Carlton Decoy, 124

- — Hall Decoy, 79

INDEX.

213

South Kelsey Decoy, 124

Kyme Decoy, 121

Level, 70

Southwell, Mr. Thomas, F.Z.S., 106, 130
Spalding, 3,000 Mallards at one Drive, 4

Moor, 184

Spalford, Dykes near, 104

Spelman, Sir Henry, 2

Spiller, Sir Robert, 147

Staffordshire, Decoys in, 160

Stale Birds, 49

Stansgate Wick, 79

Steeple Decoy, 79

St. Catherine's Chapel, 71

Steeple Creek, 79

St. Giles' Fen, 65

St. James's Park Decoy, 126

Stilton Fen, 96

Stoke Decoy, 159

Stoneham Park, 94

Stonehursts " Hist, and Topog. of the Isle of

Axholme," 117
Storey, Edward, 126
Storey's Gate, 128
Stour, Estuary of the, 75
Stow Bardolph Decoy, 140
Stowe, Lake at, 60
St. Paul's, Dean and Chapter of, 76
Strangvvays Family, J-^
Sudbourne Hall, 162
Suffield, Lord, 137
Suffolk, Decoys in, 161
Sundorne Castle Decoy, 15c
Sunk Island Decoy, 184

, State of (171 1), 184

SuiTey, Decoys in, 169
Sussex, Decoys in, 171
Sutton Fen, 65
Swannery (Abbotsbury), 71
Swans on the Fleet, 73

Tacey, Mr. George, 117
Taking Birds out of Tunnel-net,
Tame Decoys, 27

Decoy Ducks, 47

Tame-reared Wild Ducks, 48

Tanginere Decoy, 171

Tees Bay, 179

Tetford, 68

Thame, Neighbourhood of, 60

Thames, The, 127

The (ireat Fen, 96

The Grange Decoy, Tillingham Marsh, 78

The Hoo Decoy, 97

The Old Decoy, or Jacques Hall Old Decoy, 92

"The Severals," 140

Thirkleby Park Decoy, 178

Thomas, Mr. F., 173

Thompson's " Natural History of Ireland "

(1851), 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 196
Thoresby, 144
Thorne Waste, 186

Decoy, 185

Thorney Fen, 65

Tillingham Marsh, 76, 78

Timberland Decoy, 121

Tipperary, County of. Decoys in, 195

Tolleshunt D'Arcy, 85

Tomline, Col. George, 163

Ton of Ducks, A, despatched twice a week,

167
Tor, The, 1 52
Tortington Decoy, 173
Trengwainton Decoy, 70
Trundle Mere, 96
Tunnel-net, 39
Two-pipe Decoy, 56
Tyrone, County of. Decoys in, 195
Tyssen-Amherst, Mr., M.P., 133, 135
Tythrop Decoy, 146
House, 146

V.

Van Heckn, Mr., 202, 203
Vermin, To protect Decoy from, 43
Vermuyden, Sir Cornelius, 68, 106, 186
Verney, Sir Harry, 64
Villa Farm Decoy, 92
Virginia Water Decoy, 169
View of a Decoy-pipe from Head .Show Place,
facing 17

W.

Wainfleet St. Mary's Decoys, 123
Wales, Few Decoys in, 1 1
Wallace, Sir Richard, 162
Walling Fen, 176, 184
Walsingham, Lord, 135
Ward Family of Decoy men. The, 145
Warry, Mr. G., 154
Warwickshire, Decoys in, 174

214

INDEX.

Warton, Col. Valentine, 66

Wash, The, 67

Water Supply of a Decoy, 40

Waterman, S'. George, 126

Watson, " History of Wisbeach,'' 66

Watton Decoy, Yorkshire, 183

Waxham Decoy, 137

Webb, Mr. G., 100

Webber, Capt. Frank, 196

Welbeck, 144

Wells, Captain, 97

Wells' " History of the Fens," 66

Wenlock, Lord, 179

West Fen, 103

Westbury Decoy, 158

Westmorland, Decoys in, 175

West Wick Decoy, 79, 131

Westwick House, Norwich, 1 31

Wey, River, 170

Whaplode Fen, 103

Whartons, The, 63

What a Decoy consists of, 18

White Fen, 65

Whittlesey Decoy, 66

Mere, 69, 97, 112

Wicklow, County of, Decoys in, 196

Wigeon mainly taken by Feeding, 28

Wilcrick Decoy, 129

Wild Geese, 64

Wilderness, The (Winchendon) 63

Wildmore Fen, 103, 105

■ Tits, 105

Willes, Mr. John, 77

Mr. R., 78

Willesden, Lake at, 60
William the Conqueror, 108
Williams, Andrew, Lines on, r, 151

■ Mr. B., 143

T., 140

• T. and J., 124

Willughby (The historian), 4, 6
Wiltshire, Decoys in, 175
Wimblington Fen, 65
Wimborne Decoy, 74
Winchendon Decoy, 63

House, 63, 64

Windsor, Lord, 150
Winslow, 64
Winterton Decoy, 137
Wire-netting, 38
Wisbeach, 65

Wiseman, Mr., 79
Witham, River, 104
Wodehouse, Sir W., 2
Wolterton Decoy, 136

Park, 136

Woodbastwick Decoy, 138
Woodhall Decoy, 140
Woolaton Hall Decoy, 146
Wooley, Sir John, 170
Works relating to Decoys, 6

Bewick, 6

Blome, 7

Bradley on Gardening, 8

" British Encyclopedia," Nicholson in, 7

Davies, C, in " Norfolk Rivers and
Broads," 8

■ " Peter Penniless," 8

" Dictionary of Science and Art," 9

" England Illustrated," 8

Folkard, in the " Wildfowler," 8

Goldsmith, Oliver, 7

" Itinerarium Curiosum," 8

Loudon's '■ Encyclopsedia of Agriculture,"

8,9
Lubbock's " Fauna of Norfolk," 8
Maxwell, 8

"Natural History, A," 8
Ogilby, John's " Fables of .^sop para-
phrased," Sketch from, 9
Pennant, 7

Southwell, Thomas, in " Transactions of
Norfolk and Norwich Naturahsts'
Society," 8
" Treasury of Natural History" (Maunder's),

204
Uttiversal Magazine, 7
Yarrell's " British Birds," 8
Wormegay Decoy, 140
Worlingham Decoy, 168
Wormingford Decoy, 92
Worthing, 172
Wotton, Lake at, 60

Park Decoy, 64

Wrangle Decoys, 123
Wretham Decoy, 132
Wykenham, Mr. P. J. D., 146

Yew Tree Heath, 95
Yorkshire, 176

Woodfall & Kinder, Printers, Milford Lane, Strand, London, W.C.

iJMi>

i-*-*^ Ar\-Gjiiji^

'iiiSM

In One Vohwte, 'ivo, 504 pages, with many Illustrations of Fowling Expe-
riences, Birds, Boats, Gtms, and Iinplemettts, drawn by the Author
andM-V.. C. Wiiymper, £\ \s.

THE FOWLER IN IRELAND:

OR, NOTES ON THE

^mmts airtr Ijabits of ^^tltr Jfatol airtr Sta Jfotol,

INCLUDING

INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ART OF SHOOTING (& CAPTURING THEM.

BY

SIR RALPH PAYNE-GALLWEY, Bart.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

— m —

" He describes wild scenery and exciting scenes with a light and lively pen, nor does he confine
himself to the chase of the wildfowl in the bays and estuaries, but treats of many branches of rough
inland sport, from shooting woodcock and snipe to catching wild ducks in decoys. The illustrations
of episodes of sport are admirably spirited and suggestive." — TIMES, Oct. lo, 1883.

" More particular than ' Folkard's Wildfowler,' and free from the antiquated details of C lonel
Hawker's book, this treatise cannot fail to be of service to the sportsman. The first half of this
book is so valuable we have not lingered long over the technical details of the other half. Every
lover of birds will enjoy the first half of this book." — Athen/EUM.

" The title of this really beautiful volume is not sufficiently comprehensive, it might justly be
styled ' The Complete Wildfowler ' ; for although the scenes of the Author's fowling exploits lie
chiefly in Ireland, the very full instructions which he gives on every point connected with the sport
will make it the book of reference for all who wish to be successful takers of wildfowl." — Baily's
Sporting Mag.azine.

" In this delightful volume the arts of shooting and netting fowl are fully described with the
help of plans and drawings. The illustrations are, of their kind, as near perfection as they can
well be, those of the various species being equally good with the larger pictures of shooting and
trapping exploits." — Morning Post.

" Since the days of Colonel Hawker we have had no such practical contribution to sporting
literature." — Gloise.

" To Sir Ralph Gallwey fowling is a fascinating pursuit, in which he discovers the birds' secrets
by close, unwearied, patient, yet enthusiastic investigation. The dogged perseverance of years has
been rewarded by a success which places him in the front rank of sportsmen-naturalists. It would
have been a loss to natural history records if he had not placed before the public the results of his
almost unique experiences of successful fowling." — Land and Water.

" It is a perfect fowler's encyclopa:dia, practical in treatment and inexhaustible in material, and
everything is so admirably finished, text, illustrations, woodcuts, and typography." — Irish Times.

" No more suitable book for a country house can be imagined during the long winter evenings."
— Academy.

"This portion of the volume is enriched with portraits of many of the birds named, and we
may permit ourselves to say that while there is not a bad one amongst them, those of the Pintail,
the Pochard, the Golden-eye, and the Red-Breasted Merganser are decidedly good. Those of the
Brent and Bernicle Goose, and especially a beautifully artistic plate of a pair of Great Northern
Divers, are of exceptional accuracy and merit."— Northern Whig.

JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, PATERNOSTER ROW.

A SELECTION OF

BOOKS ON BIRDS AND SPORT,

PUBLISHED BY MR. VAi^ VOORST.

A History of British Birds. By William Yarreli, V.P.L.S., F.Z.S. Fourth Edition, Revised
and Enlarged, to the end of Volume 2, by Alfred Newton, M.A., F.R.S., Professor of Zoology and
Comparative Anatomy in the University of Cambridge, &c. Continued by Howard Saunders, F.L.S.,
F.Z.S., &c. 4 vols., 8vo, cloth, with 564 Wood Engravings, £^. Supplements to the First and Second
Editions are still on sale.

A Handbook of British Birds. Showing the Distribution of the Resident and Migratory Birds in the
British Islands, with an Index to the Records of the Rarer Species. By J. E. Harting, F.L.S., &c.
Svo, 7s. 6d.

Coloured Illustrations of the Eggs of British Birds, with Descriptions of their Nests and
Nidification. By William C. Hewitson. Third Edition, 2 vols., Svo, £^ 14s. 6d.

British Birds, systematically arranged in Five Tables, showing the Comparative Distribution and Periodical
Migrations, and giving an Outline of the Geographical Range of 376 Species. By G. Peter Moore,
F.L.S., Captain R.S.L.M., late 3rd Hussars. Folio, sewed, 5s.; cloth, 7s. 6d.

A List of British Birds, compiled by a Committee of the British Ornithologists' Union. Svo, sewed,
229 pages, with Index of Synonyms, los. 6d.

The Birds of Norfolk. By He.nry Stevenson, F.L, S. Vols. I and 2, Svo, each los. 6d. ; Vol. 3 in
preparation.

The Birds of Middlesex. A Contribution to the Natural History of the County. By J. E. Harting,

F.L.S., F.Z..S. Post Svo, 7s. 6d.
The Birds of Somersetshire. By Cecil Smith, of Lydeard House, near Taunton. Post Svo, 7s. 6d.
The Birds of the Humber District. By John Cordeaux, of Great Cotes, Ulceby. Post Svo, 6s.
The Birds of Egypt. By G. Ernest Shelley, F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., &c , late Captain Grenadier Guards.

Royal Svo, with fourteen Coloured Plates, £\ lis. 6d.

A List of the Diurnal Birds of Prey, with References and Annotations ; also a Record of Specimens
preserved in the Norfolk and Norwich Museum. By John Henry Gurney. Svo, paper covers, 4s. 6d. ;
cloth, 5s.

A Descriptive Catalogue of the Raptorial Birds in the Norfolk and Norwich
Museum, r.y John Henry Gurney. Part I., royal Svo, 5s.

Falconry in the British Isles. By Messrs. Salvin and Brodrick. Second Edition, with New
Plates and Additions. Imperial Svo, £2. 2s.

Falconer's Favourites. By W. Brodrick. a series of Life-sized Coloured Portraits of all the British
Species of Falcons at present used in Falconry. Large folio, cloth, £2 2s.

Falconry in the Valley of the Indus. By R. F. Burton. Post Svo, with Four Illustrations, 6s.

Hints on Shore-Shooting, including a Chapter on Skinning and Preserving Birds. By J. E. Harting,

F.L.S., F.Z.S. Po.-t Svo, 3s. 6d.
Autumns on the Spey. By A. E. Knox, M.A. Post Svo, with Four Illustrations by Wolf of Fishing

and Shooting Adventures. 6s.

The Game Laws of England for Gamekeepers. By Hugh Neville, m.a., of the Inner

Temple, Esq., Barrister-at-law. A New and Improved Edition. Foolscap Svo, cloth, 2s. 6d.

Gilbert White's Natural History and Antiquities of Selbome. Edited by Thomas Bell,

F. U.S., F.L.S., F.G.S., cVc, Professor of Zoology in King's College, London. 2 vols., Svo, with Steel
Plate and other Illustrations, ;,fi lis. 6d.

The Ornithology of Shakespeare, Critically Examined, Explained, and Illustr.ated. By J. E.
Harting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Svo, 12s. 6d.

JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, PATERNOSTER ROW.

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